A study involving nearly 996 healthy adults revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated brain ageing by an average of 5.5 months. Researchers from the University of Nottingham used neuroimaging data to create a brain age prediction model. The study indicates that even individuals who did not contract the virus experienced accelerated ageing, with more pronounced effects noted in males and those from deprived backgrounds. Chronic stress and factors like social isolation and economic insecurity likely contributed to this accelerated ageing. The study emphasizes the impact of environment on brain health.
"The pandemic significantly accelerates brain ageing" by an average of 5.5 months. Even those who didn't catch the virus endured the same outcome.
A plausible explanation for accelerated brain ageing during the pandemic is chronic stress, linked to social isolation, economic insecurity, and health concerns.
The study shows that brain health is shaped not only by illness but also by our everyday environment, highlighting the strain of the pandemic on disadvantaged populations.
There is potential for these changes in brain ageing to reverse, which is an encouraging thought for individuals affected.
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