The Cost of Class: Poverty's Effect on the Brain

Just stumbled on this article from IFL Science that reminded me about our discussion in class relating students being living on the same block as a shooting with their lowered SAT scores. The article talks about a recent study by MIT about the effect of income disparities on the brain structures of children. The researchers used MRI machines to scan the brains of 23 students from lower-income households (defined as meeting the criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch), and 35 students from higher-income households. Results indicated that the brains of the lower-income children had thinner temporal and occipital lobes, which are responsible for vision and storing knowledge.

The study successfully linked these differences in brain structure with students' academic achievement by making them take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). Only 57% of the lower-income children achieved proficiency, compared with 91% of higher-income students. The researchers state that the differences in cortical thickness could account for as much as 44 percent of the income achievement gap observed. While the study did not explore any of the fundamental causes behind these differences in brain anatomy, it is noted that "previous studies have shown that lower-income students are more likely to suffer from stress in early childhood, have more limited access to educational resources, and receive less exposure to spoken language early in life. These factors have all been linked to lower academic achievement." It also notes that these changes may not necessarily be permanent.