Study shows that children are aging quickly

 

New York: There have been studies in the past that show that the one-and-a-half-year-long covid lockdown period has affected the social intelligence, athletic ability and mental health of our children. A University of Washington study found evidence of premature brain aging in boys and girls in MRI scans. At the same time, a study report published by the University of Washington says that among those who have gone through the lockdown, brain aging has affected girls more.

In 2018, researchers collected MRI scans of 160 children between the ages of nine and 17. The MRI scans were collected to understand how the brain's cortex typically thins during the school years. The same scans were re-examined in 2021 and 2022 and new MRI scans of 12- to 16-year-olds were collected. After the lockdown, girls' brains are 4.2 years older on average. In boys, it is 1.4 years, the report states. That is, a girl who had an MRI scan at age 11 returned to the lab at age 14 with a developed brain similar to that of an 18-year-old.

The data on what causes brain aging in girls is alarming. Adolescent girls are more affected by the problem because their developing brains depend on social interaction. They especially see talking with friends as a way to relieve stress and solve problems. Lack of such social interaction is the cause of brain aging in girls.