The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated brain aging by 5.5 months, even in those who were not infected with the virus, according to findings published in Nature Communications.
This was the main result of a new scientific study conducted by the University of Nottingham, UK, which analyzed nearly 1,000 people and found that accelerated aging, recorded as structural changes observed in brain scans, was more noticeable in older adults.
It also occurred in male participants and people from disadvantaged backgrounds; however, cognitive tests revealed that mental agility decreased only in participants who contracted COVID-19.
Cognitive decline
The research showed that brain aging was not related to infection status, but cognitive decline was. It found that study participants who were infected with the virus lost mental flexibility. Co-author Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad stated that brain health is affected not only by the disease itself, but also by our daily environment.
The team analyzed brain MRIs taken before and after the pandemic in nearly 1,000 people and compared two groups: a control group, whose scans were taken before the event (564 people), and another group with pre- and post-scans (432 people).
According to a statement from the University of Nottingham, these results truly demonstrate how much the experience of the pandemic itself, from isolation to uncertainty, may have affected brain health.
The study acknowledges that previous research has offered indications that SARS-CoV-2 infections (the virus that causes COVID-19) can worsen neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in older people.
Turbulent times affect brain
However, little research has explored whether the pandemic period—a turbulent time marked by social isolation, lifestyle disruptions, and stress for many—also affected brain aging, Mohammadi-Nejad said.
