Study links greater inequality to changes in children's brains

Scientists have linked the impact of living in an unequal society to structural changes in the brains of children, regardless of individual wealth, for the first time.

- Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent

A study of more than 10,000 young people in the US discovered altered brain development in children from wealthy and lower-income families in areas with higher rates of inequality, which were also associated with poorer mental health.

The data was gathered from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study and published in the journal Nature Mental Health.

Researchers at King's College London, Harvard University and the University of York measured inequality within a particular US state by scoring how evenly income was distributed. States with higher levels of inequality included New York, Connecticut, California and Florida, while Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Vermont were more equal.

MRI scans were analysed to study the surface area and thickness of regions in the cortex, including those involved in higher cognitive functions including memory, emotion, attention and language. Connections between different regions of the brain were also analysed by the scans, where changes in blood flow indicate brain activity.