{"id":132827,"date":"2024-12-03T12:29:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T05:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=132827"},"modified":"2024-12-03T12:29:48","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T05:29:48","slug":"lockdowns-did-something-to-teen-brains-and-we-need-to-talk-about-it-sciencealert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=132827","title":{"rendered":"Lockdowns Did Something to Teen Brains, And We Need to Talk About It : ScienceAlert"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/full\/10.1073\/pnas.2403200121\">recent study<\/a> reported the somewhat alarming observation that the social disruptions of COVID lockdowns caused significant changes in teenagers&#8217; brains.<\/p>\n<p>Using  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/magnetic-resonance-imaging\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73063\" data-postid=\"145624\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">MRI<\/a> data, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle showed that the usual, age-related thinning of the cortex \u2013 the folded surface \u2013 of the adolescent brain accelerated after the lockdowns and the effect was greater in the female brain than the male.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>What are we to make of these findings?<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Science shows the critical importance of adolescence for the brain. The notoriously different behaviour of teenagers is due to a large degree to the immaturity of their brain cortex.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>During adolescence, substantial changes take place to enable the brain to reach maturity. One of these very important changes is the thinning of the cortex.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0301008222001563\">breakthrough paper<\/a> in 2022 delivered the first evidence that, in adolescence, there is a critical period of brain &#8220;plasticity&#8221; (malleability) in the frontal brain region \u2013 the area of the brain responsible for thinking, decision-making, short-term memory and control of social behaviour.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145650\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145650\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersTakingAGroupSelfie642.jpg\" alt=\"Teenagers in a classroom taking a group selfie\" width=\"642\" height=\"442\" class=\"size-full wp-image-145650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersTakingAGroupSelfie642.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersTakingAGroupSelfie642-603x415.jpg 603w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersTakingAGroupSelfie642-600x413.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145650\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The brain is very malleable during the teen years. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canva.com\/photos\/MAC5WggLN4Y\/\">Jacob Lund\/Canva<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Given the evidence of this sensitivity of brain development in adolescence, is it possible that the  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/pandemic\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73047\" data-postid=\"145624\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">pandemic<\/a> lockdowns really did accelerate harmful brain ageing in teenagers? And how strong is the evidence that it was due to the lockdowns and not something else?<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>To answer the first question, we have to realise that ageing and development are two sides of the same coin. They are inextricably linked.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, biological ageing is the progressive decline in the function of the body&#8217;s cells, tissues and systems. On the other, development is the process by which we reach maturity.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Adverse conditions at critical periods of our life, especially adolescence, are very likely to influence our ageing trajectory.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145651\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145651\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersSittingOnGrass642.jpg\" alt=\"Four young people sitting on grass\" width=\"642\" height=\"442\" class=\"size-full wp-image-145651\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersSittingOnGrass642.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersSittingOnGrass642-603x415.jpg 603w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/TeenagersSittingOnGrass642-600x413.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145651\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Science shows the critical importance of adolescence for the brain. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canva.com\/photos\/MAFMBGfw5K0\/\">capturenow\/Canva<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It is therefore plausible that the &#8220;accelerated maturation&#8221; of the teenage brain cortex is an age-related change that will affect the rate of brain ageing throughout life.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>So it seems there is an unpalatable and much more serious conclusion: the reported accelerated maturation \u2013 though serious enough \u2013 is not a one-off detriment. It may well set a trajectory of adverse brain ageing way beyond adolescence.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Now to the second question: the role, if any, of the lockdowns. One of the central pillars of brain health is &#8220;social cognition&#8221;: the capacity of the brain to interact socially with others. It has been embedded in our brains for <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2022.104632\">1.5 million years<\/a>. It is not an optional add-on.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>It is fundamentally important. Interfere with it and potentially devastating health consequences result, particularly in adolescents who depend on social interaction for normal cognitive development.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>At the same time, adolescence is also a period of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nrn2513\">the emergence of many neuropsychiatric disorders<\/a>, including anxiety and  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/depression\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73097\" data-postid=\"145624\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">depression<\/a>, with younger females at a higher risk of developing anxiety and mood disorders than males.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<h2>Devastating consequences<\/h2>\n<p>The socially restrictive lockdown measures appear to have had a substantial negative effect on the mental health of teenagers, especially girls, and the new study provides a potential underlying cause.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>There is little doubt that the pandemic lockdowns resulted in devastating health consequences for many people.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>To the litany of evidence, we may now add a particularly grim finding \u2013 that the developmental brain biology of our precious teenage population has been damaged by these measures.<\/p>\n<p>But perhaps the main message is that the wider effects of single-issue health policies should be considered more carefully. In the case of the known damaging effects of social isolation and loneliness on brain health, it&#8217;s not as if the evidence wasn&#8217;t there.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/244714\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines -->\n<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/james-goodwin-2270348\">James Goodwin<\/a>, Professor in the Physiology of Ageing, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/loughborough-university-1336\"><em>Loughborough<\/em> University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/covid-lockdowns-affected-adolescents-brain-structures-says-research-244714\">original article<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/lockdowns-did-something-to-teen-brains-and-we-need-to-talk-about-it\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent study reported the somewhat alarming observation that the social disruptions of COVID lockdowns caused significant changes in teenagers&#8217; brains. Using MRI data, researchers at the University of Washington &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=132827\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=132827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=132827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=132827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=132827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}