2025年的一项研究发现,高收入不平等损害美国儿童的大脑发育,无论家庭收入如何。 Higher income inequality harms brain development in U.S. children, regardless of family income, a 2025 study finds.

2025年对10 000多名9至10岁的美国儿童进行了一项研究,他们生活在收入不平等程度较高的地区,与大脑结构的可衡量变化有联系,包括与情感、记忆和注意力有关的地区的皮层表面积减少和连通性改变。 A 2025 study of over 10,000 U.S. children aged nine to ten links living in areas with higher income inequality to measurable changes in brain structure, including reduced cortex surface area and altered connectivity in regions tied to emotion, memory, and attention. 研究结果由伦敦国王学院、纽约大学和哈佛大学的研究人员使用ABCD研究的数据进行,结果表明这些影响不论儿童个人家庭收入或教育水平如何,都会发生。 Conducted by researchers from King’s College London, the University of York, and Harvard University using data from the ABCD Study, the findings show these effects occur regardless of a child’s individual family income or education level. 该研究报告在《自然心理健康》中发表,表明社会层面的不平等造成了一种紧张的环境,对神经发育和心理健康产生不利影响,并产生持久的后果。 The study, published in Nature Mental Health, indicates that societal-level inequality creates a stressful environment that negatively impacts neurodevelopment and mental health, with lasting consequences. 专家们强调,通过累进税、普遍保健和加强社会安全网等政策减少不平等对于儿童的认知和情感福祉至关重要。 Experts stress that reducing inequality through policies like progressive taxation, universal healthcare, and stronger social safety nets is essential for children’s cognitive and emotional wellbeing.