Alteration in macro- and micro-structures of the adolescent hippocampus after the COVID-19 pandemic

COEX 

Although a SARS-CoV-2 infection has been revealed to result in changes in human brain structure (1), the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the brain among uninfected individuals is still underexplored. Since adolescence is a sensitive period for the development of mental illnesses caused by stressful life events (2), it is important to understand the effect of stressful experiences on the adolescent brain, particularly the hippocampus. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic, as one of extremely stressful life events, enabled us to examine the impact of stress on the adolescent hippocampus.