A new study published in Nature Communications suggests that the pandemic may have accelerated brain aging in people who didn’t get sick from Covid-19. Researchers analyzed brain scans from a large database of 500,000 volunteers and found signs of premature aging, including shrinkage, in both infected and uninfected individuals.
The study, led by Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, a neuroimaging researcher at the University of Nottingham, used imaging data from 15,334 healthy individuals to create a baseline model of normal aging. They then compared this with brain scans from participants who had scans during the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022.
The results showed that people’s brains showed signs of aging, including shrinkage, even in those who didn’t get infected with Covid-19. The study found a 5.5-month acceleration in aging associated with the pandemic, with males and those from more socioeconomically deprived backgrounds being most affected.
Researchers believe that the cumulative experience of the pandemic, including psychological stress, social isolation, and disruptions in daily life, contributed to the observed changes. However, it’s unclear whether structural brain changes will eventually lead to cognitive deficits.
The study has implications for understanding the effects of long Covid and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as the potential for people to counteract age-related changes with healthy behaviors like exercise and social interactions.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/covid-pandemic-accelerated-brain-aging-study-rcna220048