Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on White Matter Plasticity in the Reading Network.

ABSTRACT: During the COVID-19 pandemic, children worldwide experienced school closures. Several studies have detected a negative impact on reading-related skills in children who experienced these closures during the early stages of reading instruction, but the impact on the reading network in the brain has not been investigated. In the current longitudinal study in a sample of 162 Dutch-speaking children, we found a short-term effect in the growth of phonological awareness in children with COVID-19 school closures compared to children without school closures, but no long-term effects one year later. Similarly, we did not find a long-term effect on the longitudinal development of white matter connectivity in tracts implicated during early reading development. Together, these findings indicate that on

SUBMITTER: Blockmans L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11740157 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature