ReachMDEvidence of ‘Pandemic Brain’ in College Students

Understanding COVID-19’s Cognitive Effects on College Students

As physicians, understanding the cognitive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our younger population is crucial. This summary distills key findings from a recent study conducted by The Ohio State University.

• The study found that college students’ decision-making capabilities were likely impaired during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Students in the 2020 fall semester displayed less consistent decision-making compared to previous years.
• The prolonged uncertainties of the global lockdown affected the brain region responsible for problem-solving and decision-making.
• The Adult Decision Making Competence (ADMC) scale was used to compare pre-pandemic data from 722 undergraduates with 161 students from the 2020 fall semester.
• The main finding was that 2020 students were more likely to answer differently based on how the information was framed.
• Despite this inconsistency, 2020 students were as confident as pre-pandemic participants in their decision-making accuracy.
• Preliminary analysis of 72 students during the spring 2022 semester showed that students were still making less consistent decisions compared to pre-pandemic participants.