The closure caused a structural change in the areas of stress and anxiety in the brain

This is according to a study by Tel Aviv University. Before and after the first lockdown, the researchers scanned the brains of 50 healthy subjects in their 30s who did not get corona. The changes were compared to previous scans in subjects who were scanned at two time points before the corona period. The results indicate an increase, among other things, in the volume of the amygdala - an area of ​​the brain responsible for emotional regulation. The researchers: "The findings are apparently a mental expression of the uncertainties, anxiety and stress that the subjects were under as a result of the outbreak of the epidemic and the quarantine"

Researchers at Tel Aviv University performed MRI scans on the brains of 50 young (average age 30) and healthy subjects - before the outbreak of the corona epidemic in Israel and about two months later, immediately after leaving the first quarantine, and found a significant increase in the volume of the amygdala - an area of ​​the brain responsible for emotional regulation.

The research was conducted under the leadership of Prof. Yaniv Assaf from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics in the Faculty of Life Sciences, the Strauss Center for Computed Neuroimaging and the Segol School of Neuroscience. Prof. Assaf: "The increased volume of the amygdala probably testified to the uncertainty, tension and anxiety experienced by the participants during the first wave and the lockdown. It is very important that the decision-makers also consider the mental aspect of the corona virus."

The researchers also participated in the study: Dr. Ido Tabor of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Tom Shinberg of the Faculty of Life Sciences, the Department of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Segol School of Neuroscience, Tom Salomon from the Department of Neurobiology, and the MindUcate Center, Adi Cohen, Gal Ben-Zvi, Rani Gra, Shiran Oren, Dana Roll, Gal Rosik, Anastasia Slay, Niv Thik and Galia Sraffati.

According to Prof. Yaniv Assaf, the outbreak of the corona virus was a unique opportunity for the researchers to compare scans of the brains of young, physically and mentally healthy people and to examine how a crisis of global magnitude affects the structure of the brain: "As part of our routine research at Tel Aviv University, we engage in brain research, and perform For this, MRI scans in the brains of healthy subjects," explains Prof. Assaf. "We scan subjects all the time for various studies, and when the corona virus suddenly broke out, we decided to go back to those subjects and find changes in the structure of the brain as a result of the corona."

As part of this, after the first quarantine of the corona in Israel, the researchers performed a repeat scan on 50 subjects who participated in various studies a few months before the corona epidemic. The researchers also asked the participants to fill out questionnaires regarding their situation during the quarantine days. The subjects were young men and women, about 30 years old on average, with no underlying diseases, who also did not get corona."

The findings were fascinating: the comparison between the MRI scans before the corona virus and those performed after the lockdown mainly found an increase in the volume of the amygdala - an area of ​​the brain responsible for emotional regulation. It is known from previous studies that this phenomenon usually occurs in situations of stress and anxiety, so the researchers conclude that the findings are most likely a brain expression of uncertainty, anxiety and stress that the subjects were under as a result of the outbreak of the epidemic and the lockdown.

Dr. Tabor: "When we scanned the brains of the first subjects we were very impressed because a change as we saw in the structure of the brain within a few months is an unusual figure that indicates a significant change. We did indeed test the same subjects, but according to the results it seems as if we compared healthy people with people with anxiety disorders."

Dr. Shinberg, who specializes in researching the brain basis of behavior change: the study illustrates the consequences that a global event also has on young people who suddenly experience unfamiliar feelings of uncertainty, stress and anxiety. The study shows that the further we got away from the lockdown, the more the brain regions returned to their previous volume. Ahead of the second lockdown, we suggest to the decision-makers to promote a positive information campaign, building trust and the importance of following instructions, and not a negative campaign based on intimidation and threats which can be seen to have not led to the desired change in behavior in the population and which may cause mental distress among the citizens."

Prof. Assaf concludes: "Our research illustrates the impact of a dramatic event that the corona epidemic had on the mental health of the public. The decision-makers are usually concerned with the impact of the virus on health and the economy, but it is also very important to consider mental health when making decisions and the uncertainty involved in making them."

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• Israeli researchers have discovered a brain mechanism that is responsible for anxiety and hypersensitivity in people who do not sleep enough
• The future of the corona virus - in the world and in Israel
• The Corona: a research grant from Google to Uni' Tel Aviv, which also won a tender for testing in the IDF