Premature Aging in Adolescents Linked to COVID-19

Authored By: Emma Davila

Art By: Julia Chen

Epidemiologists and public health officials have anticipated from the start that the COVID-19 shelter-in-place would have drastic effects, both mental and physical, on Americans across the country. However, recent research has brought to light the significant influence it had, specifically on the rate of brain aging. In a recent study conducted at the University of Washington, researchers Corrigan, Rokem, and Kuhl found that teenage girls experienced aging in the brain significantly faster than their male counterparts [1]. They measured teenage participants’ cortical thinning, a marker of brain aging, by comparing scans before and after the shelter-in-place [1]. Cortical layer thinning occurs naturally as people age, as thickness peaks in childhood and gradually decreases. However, this process is extremely accelerated in environments of stress and has been associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety [2]. A different NIH study by Gotlib et. al also analyzed adolescent MRI scans and found notable differences in various brain regions. The hippocampus and amygdala, responsible for memory and emotion, had significantly thickened while the cortex, involved in self-control and problem-solving, had thinned [2]. Once again, both of these changes are an expected part of aging, but the extent to which this maturation happened in the teenage participants was much faster than in normal circumstances.

Corrigan, Rokenm, and Kuhl found that teenage boys also experienced accelerated brain aging, but at a much slower rate than their female counterparts [1]. Adolescent girls’ brains had aged 4.2 years ahead of what was expected while boys had only aged 1.4 years ahead [1]. Gotlib et. al, found teenage girls’ brains had aged about three years in only 10 months [4]. This data did not surprise experts, as adversity and trauma, much like what teenagers faced during the pandemic, are known to have such effects on young brains.

Another interesting effect of the pandemic is how it affected research studies. In a study conducted at the University of Washington, the original research project began in 2018 to analyze normal brain development in adolescents [4]. However, after the pandemic began mid-study in 2020, the study was put on hold for three years, and they missed critical brain scans needed for a complete picture of normal brain development [4]. The researchers had to pivot their focus and strategize new ways to use the previously collected data in a meaningful way, ultimately realizing they could study how teenage brains had changed during the pandemic [4]. They are already thinking of how they can continue this research and have considered measuring participants’ rates of cortical layer thinning a few years from now to see whether it has slowed showing they have begun to recover from the trauma faced during the pandemic. This demonstrates the ability of medical research priorities to rapidly evolve in response to changing global challenges, forcing experts to adapt and maintain relevance. 

A pediatric psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has spoken about various limitations he sees in this study. He reminds readers that the pre and post-pandemic measurements were from participants in different cohorts, so the measurement does not illustrate changes seen in one individual [5]. Furthermore, he brings up that confounding variables could play a role in the results found, as increased social media use and decreased time in the classroom during the pandemic could have been the catalyst for these results instead [5]. 

Ultimately, this research shares an important story that highlights the susceptible and malleable nature of young brains. Prematurely aged brains like those seen in young adults today are known to result from trauma and are also correlated with higher risks for depression, anxiety, addiction, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Healthcare professionals, parents, and teachers must be aware of how this influences adolescents in their lives and how they can best support them in such unprecedented times [5]. In today’s challenging environment, it is especially crucial for medical clinicians, parents, teachers, and peers to work towards creating environments to promote mental well-being and healthy mental and physical development. Prioritizing awareness, timely intervention, and meaningful care will all help address potential risks and foster promising, bright futures for adolescents.

References

1. Corrigan, N. M., Rokem, A., & Kuhl, P. K. (2024). COVID-19 lockdown effects on adolescent brain structure suggest accelerated maturation that is more pronounced in females than in males. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(38), e2403200121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2403200121 

2. Rogers, K. (2024, September 9). Study shows how the pandemic may have affected teens’ brains. CNN; CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/health/pandemic-teen-brain-aging-study-wellness/index.html

3. Teen Brains Aged Prematurely During COVID-19 Pandemic | NIH COVID-19 Research. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/teen-brains-aged-prematurely-during-covid-19-pandemic

4. Gotlib, I. H., Miller, J. G., Borchers, L. R., Coury, S. M., Costello, L. A., Garcia, J. M., & Ho, T. C. (2023). Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Brain Maturation in Adolescents: Implications for Analyzing Longitudinal Data. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 3(4), 912–918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.11.002 

5. ‌Barry, E. (2024, September 9). Teen Girls’ Brains Aged Rapidly During Pandemic, Study Finds. Nytimes.com; The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/09/health/teen-brains-pandemic-girls.html