November 13, 2024

Alexis Gogue

11th Grade

George Washington High School

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an indisputable, substantial influence on our society, affecting teenagers especially. Adolescence is a crucial stage of growth. These years shape a person's emotional, social, and behavioral qualities and play a crucial role in developing self-identity and maturing brain structure. Scientists have performed studies demonstrating the noticeable change that COVID-19 has made to adolescent brain structures, which has been more pronounced in girls. It has proven to have matured the teenage brain drastically with up to 4.2 years faster in girls and 1.4 years faster in boys. This research reveals similarities between brains that have undergone traumatic events such as violence, neglect, and family dysfunction.

Factors such as restricted social activities and online-based learning have been shown to contribute to the accelerating aging of adolescents' brains as well as increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of tissue of the brain and it's the section responsible for brain maturation as well as self-control and problem-solving. Maturation is measured by the thickness of the cerebral cortex. Naturally with age, the cerebral cortex would thin, but with increased stress, thinning could be accelerated. This thinning is associated with risks of developing neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders.

Additionally, brain scans on the parts of the brain involved in memory and emotion such as the Hippocampus and the Amygdala, were shown to be thicker in teens post-pandemic. This can largely impact how an individual processes emotions and memories. Going off previous research, some authors believe this phenomenon known as the “stress acceleration hypothesis” to be linked to their findings. This hypothesis suggests that an individual in a high-stress environment develops maturity faster to protect the brain's emotional circuits. Premature brain maturation can be detrimental to one's health as it correlates with depression anxiety, and increases risks of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease in the future. 

Fortunately, scientists have concluded that despite the impacts of the pandemic, hope isn't completely lost. They are not certain that these effects are permanent, and according to Dr. Patricia K. Kurl, the brain doesn’t just get thicker again, but teens have shown recovery post-pandemic as they have gone back to social normalcy. The Dr. hopes that with this, the brain may be able to thin more slowly and be on track with proper maturity levels. This has given hope to research that recovery is possible!