Studie verbindet eine größere Ungleichheit mit strukturellen Veränderungen im Kindergehirn | Forscher sagen, dass die Erkenntnisse zeigen, dass Ungleichheit eine toxische Umgebung schafft, und die Reduzierung des „öffentlichen Gesundheitswesens“ ist ein „Imperativ“ für öffentliche Gesundheit.

From the article: 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.

The [study](https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-025-00508-1) 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 findings suggest “inequality creates a toxic social environment” that “literally shapes how young minds develop”, researchers said.

Experts from King’s College London (KCL), the University of York and Harvard University looked at MRI scan images from 10,071 children aged nine and 10 in 17 US states who were involved in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.

The team measured inequality by scoring how evenly income is measured in society. States with higher rates included New York, Connecticut, California and Florida, while Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Vermont had narrower income gaps.

Using scan images, researchers studied the surface area and thickness of regions of the cortex – the wrinkly outer layer of the brain – including the areas used for memory, attention, emotion and language. They also looked at links between different regions of the brain and changes in blood flow that showed brain activity.

The study found that children living in areas with higher rates of inequality had a reduced cortex surface area and altered connections between different areas of the brain, regardless of individual circumstances such as family income and education.

Experts said the findings, published in Nature Mental Health, showed income inequality was “a unique societal-level determinant of neurodevelopment and mental health, independent of individual socioeconomic status”.