Sep 11, 2024 01:57 AM
https://www.theguardian.com/science/arti...tudy-finds
EXCERPTS: Adolescent girls who lived through Covid lockdowns experienced more rapid brain ageing than boys, according to data that suggests the social restrictions had a disproportionate impact on them.
MRI scans found evidence of premature brain ageing in both boys and girls, but girls’ brains appeared on average 4.2 years older than expected after lockdowns, compared with 1.4 years older for boys.
It is unclear whether the changes have negative consequences, but the findings have raised concerns that they might affect adolescents’ mental health and potential to learn.
“We were shocked by these data, that the difference is so dramatic,” said Prof Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, in Seattle.
[,,,] Kuhl believes the difference reflects girls’ greater dependence on social groups and interactions. “Girls chat endlessly and share their emotions,” she said. “They are much more dependent [than boys] on the social scene for their wellbeing and for their healthy neural, physical and emotional development.”
More studies are needed to see whether the brain ageing affects cognitive performance, but Kuhl notes that premature cortical thinning is linked to early life adversity and a greater risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Cortical thinning is crucial for the brain to specialise, but that comes with a loss of cognitive flexibility that could potentially affect learning... (MORE - details)
EXCERPTS: Adolescent girls who lived through Covid lockdowns experienced more rapid brain ageing than boys, according to data that suggests the social restrictions had a disproportionate impact on them.
MRI scans found evidence of premature brain ageing in both boys and girls, but girls’ brains appeared on average 4.2 years older than expected after lockdowns, compared with 1.4 years older for boys.
It is unclear whether the changes have negative consequences, but the findings have raised concerns that they might affect adolescents’ mental health and potential to learn.
“We were shocked by these data, that the difference is so dramatic,” said Prof Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, in Seattle.
[,,,] Kuhl believes the difference reflects girls’ greater dependence on social groups and interactions. “Girls chat endlessly and share their emotions,” she said. “They are much more dependent [than boys] on the social scene for their wellbeing and for their healthy neural, physical and emotional development.”
More studies are needed to see whether the brain ageing affects cognitive performance, but Kuhl notes that premature cortical thinning is linked to early life adversity and a greater risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Cortical thinning is crucial for the brain to specialise, but that comes with a loss of cognitive flexibility that could potentially affect learning... (MORE - details)