If kids who experienced the pandemic show accelerated development in their brains, scientists will have to account for that abnormal rate of growth in any future research involving this generation, said the study.
As many expect another winter surge for COVID-19, cities across California are updating their policies and response to the virus. Meanwhile, former President Clinton tests positive, Paxlovid is safe for pregnancies and other updates.
The brains of adolescents who were assessed after the pandemic shutdowns ended appeared several years older than those of teens who were assessed before the pandemic. Until now, such accelerated changes in “brain age” have only been seen in children experiencing chronic adversity, such as neglect and family dysfunction.
The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic might have physically altered adolescents' brains, Stanford University researchers said Thursday in an alarming report.
A new study from Stanford University suggests that pandemic-related stressors have physically altered adolescents' brains, making their brain structures appear several years older than the brains of comparable peers before the pandemic.