Study relates social withdrawal in teenage with widespread effects across cognition

New Delhi: A study has related social withdrawal during teenage years with affected decision-making and social behaviour, indicating that the impacts of solitude during developmental years can have widespread effects across one’s cognitive function.

Youth who preferred solitude were also found to have a more fragile cerebellum -- important in coordinating physical movement, balance and posture.

Findings published in the journal Cerebral Cortex suggest that teenagers who are socially withdrawn show measurable differences in brain structure and function, and that “social isolation in adolescence may be a risk factor for widespread alterations in brain regions supporting social function and mental health.”

Lead researcher Caterina Stamoulis from Boston Children’s Hospital in the US, said, “We confirmed that social isolation affects not only brain areas supporting social function but other processes as well. Its association with widespread brain circuits suggests that social isolation may increase risk for mental health issues.”

Researchers analysed brain scans of nearly 3,000 teens whose parents were surveyed for their children’s social behaviours, including whether they tended to withdraw or preferred being alone.

Teenagers who preferred solitude showed structural differences -- a lower thickness of the brain’s outermost layer, cortex -- in brain regions that support social and emotional processing, including the insula and anterior cingulate, considered part of the limbic system.

The participants’ brains were also noted to show a weaker connectivity between regions, and a higher fragility in circuits that support social behaviours and decision-making.

The structural differences were not confined to a single brain region but spread across multiple networks supporting cognitive function across domains, amplifying their potential impact, the researchers said. They added that while a certain amount of solitude is normal and essential during adolescence, a persistent withdrawal may merit closer attention.

Clinicians are uniquely positioned to help families understand what’s at stake by spotting withdrawal earlier and framing it in terms of a measurable brain impact, the researchers said.

Educating families can be powerful in showing them what is happening in their kids’ brains, Stamoulis said.agencies