The impact of COVID on the teenagers’ brain: Changes in brain responses to music

A variety of cognitive- and health-related issues have been documented as post-COVID symptoms. However, it is unknown how COVID has affected young adults’ brain responses to sounds, especially to musical acoustics. The current study compared brain responses to music between teenagers with a history of mild COVID and teenagers without COVID. A total of 16 teenagers, aged 14–17 participated in this ERP (event-related potential) study. Their cortical responses to the changes in six acoustical components (frequency, rhythm, duration, amplitude, location, and timbre) were recorded using 65-channel electrodes in a passive listening paradigm. Preliminary results suggested different brain response patterns between the two groups. The characteristics of group differences vary across the six acoustical changes. Detailed information on six acoustical components will be further discussed. This study's results revealed COVID contracting teenagers’ neuronal changes that may not be noticeable in the activities of daily life, but it alerts the need for longitudinal studies to examine the post-COVID effect on brain functions in the developing population.