Pandemic Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in Those Uninfected, Study Finds
A new study reveals the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted brain health, accelerating the aging process even in individuals who never contracted the virus, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of the global crisis.
For some time, scientists have observed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both brain and mental health, noting increased rates of persistent respiratory issues, fatigue, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive decline. Now, research published on July 22 in Nature Communications provides compelling evidence that the pandemic itself—independent of infection—contributed to accelerated brain aging.
Researchers discovered that the stress and disruption caused by the pandemic were detrimental to brain health, inducing changes consistent with aging. This effect was observed through analysis of brain scans, even among those who remained uninfected with SARS-CoV-2. Brain age models revealed a concerning trend: the pandemic appeared to speed up the brain’s aging process.
How the Study Was Conducted
A team led by Mohammadi-Nejad analyzed brain scans of healthy adults, with an average age of 63 years, collected as part of the UK Biobank (UKBB), a long-term biomedical monitoring program in the United Kingdom. The study leveraged the fact that brain scans were taken both before and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for a direct comparison.
The team applied these brain age models to a group of 996 healthy participants from the UKBB who had undergone brain scans at least two years apart. By comparing scans taken before and during the pandemic, scientists were able to estimate the rate of change in individual brain age relative to chronological age.
The findings were striking. The research indicated that the pandemic induced accelerated brain aging, regardless of whether individuals had been infected with the virus. This acceleration was particularly pronounced in older individuals and men. On average, the group affected by the pandemic showed a 5.5-month older deviation in the brain age gap in the second measurement point, compared to the control group.
“Our findings provide valuable information on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected brain health, demonstrating that the general effects of the pandemic itself, without infection, exerted a substantial detrimental effect on brain health,” the study authors stated. They further emphasized that these effects were amplified by existing biosocial factors, including age, health status, and social inequalities.
Aging Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Decline
Interestingly, the study suggests that faster brain aging doesn’t automatically translate to a deterioration in cognitive function. Cognitive tests showed that mental agility decreased not only in those who contracted COVID-19, but also in the broader population during the pandemic. This suggests a complex relationship between brain aging and cognitive performance.
The researchers acknowledge that it remains unclear whether these observed effects on brain aging are reversible. However, they stress the strong correlation between these impacts and socioeconomic factors—including economic hardship, limited educational opportunities, and lack of access to healthcare—underscoring the urgent need for public policies that address health and socioeconomic disparities.
“Our study highlights the significant impact of the pandemic on brain health, beyond the direct effects of infection, emphasizing the need to consider social inequalities and wider health,” the study concludes. The results suggest a need for a more comprehensive understanding of the negative effects on brain health stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and future global crises.
