IMPACTS OF SOCIAL ISOLATION ON THE BRAIN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE POST-PANDEMIC PERIOD (2020–2025)

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the adoption of measures such as social distancing, quarantine, and lockdown, significantly reducing social interactions and modifying the population's daily routines. These changes raised concerns about their possible effects on brain function, particularly regarding cognitive, structural, and functional aspects. Objectives: To analyze the scientific evidence on the impacts of social isolation on the brain during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the post-pandemic period, from 2020 to 2025, with emphasis on structural, functional, and cognitive changes and their possible persistence or recovery. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review with a descriptive and analytical approach, based on studies published between 2020 and 2025 and identified in the MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Original studies involving human participants, published in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, and evaluating brain, cognitive, or neurobiological repercussions related to social isolation in the context of the pandemic were included. Results and Discussion: The studies identified associations between the period of social restriction and changes in memory, attention, learning, decision-making, and cognitive functioning, with greater vulnerability observed among older adults. Structural and functional changes in different brain regions, as well as modifications in connectivity between neural networks, were also described. Some of these changes showed recovery following the relaxation of restrictions, whereas certain structural changes remained detectable. However, the interpretation of these findings requires caution due to the simultaneous influence of factors such as stress, sleep disturbances, reduced physical activity, socioeconomic changes, and other pandemic-related factors. Conclusion: Social isolation was associated with cognitive, structural, and functional repercussions in the brain, varying according to age and exposure characteristics. The findings highlight the importance of social interactions for brain health and the need for longitudinal studies to clarify the persistence and reversibility of these changes.