The brains of healthy people aged faster during the Covid-19 pandemic than the brains of people analysed before the pandemic began, a study of almost 1,000 people suggests.
This accelerated ageing occurred even in people who didn't become infected.
Highlighting the pandemic's long-term impacts on global health, and brain development, Nature Communications published the study, reports DW.
The study showed that the pandemic accelerated brain aging by 5.5 months on average, with changes being most noticeable in older people, men, and in those from more disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.
Brain age relates to cognitive function and can differ from a person's actual age which relates to diseases like diabetes, HIV, and Alzheimer's. Premature brain aging can affect memory, sensory function, and emotional function.
The study's senior author, Dorothee Auer, a neuroscientist at University of Nottingham, UK, said, "The pandemic puts a strain on people's lives, especially those already facing disadvantages. We can't yet test whether the changes we saw will reverse, but it's certainly possible, and that's an encouraging thought."
HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine and the Harvard Medical School's Cancer Research Institute Director, Frank Slack, called it "a tour de force," highlighting the study's evidence that the pandemic had a significant effect on brain health, especially in males and the elderly.
Insights into the cognitive impacts of Covid-19
To determine whether the Covid-19 pandemic affected brain function, researchers analysed brain scans from healthy adults taken before and after the pandemic as part of the UK Biobank study.
First, the researchers used brain scan data from 15,334 healthy people to train a machine learning algorithm that could accurately estimate their brain age.
They then used the model to predict the brain age of 996 healthy adults before and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
One group of participants had scans before and after the pandemic began, while a comparison group only had their scans taken before the outbreak.
A neuroscientist at University of Nottingham and the study's co-lead author, said, "[This] gave us a rare window to observe how major life events can affect the brain."
Brains aged regardless of Covid-19 infection
The study discloses that the participants who lived through Covid-19 pandemic experienced faster brain aging compared to the control group.
Netherlands Maastricht UMC Neuroscientist Jacobus Jansen said, "The surprising result was that aging is independent of actual Covid-19 infection."
However, only participants who were infected by Covid-19 showed a drop in cognitive abilities like mental flexibility and processing speed. This may suggest that the pandemic's brain aging effect without infection may not cause noticeable cognitive symptoms.
Now the question arises how the pandemic had long-term effects on people's cognitive health. Other studies have suggested certain genetic factors could make some people more predisposed to Covid-19 related brain aging.
Can brain aging be reversed?
While the study highlighted the pandemic's impact on brain aging, neuroscience studies suggest there are ways to slow down brain aging and reduce the risks of cognitive decline.
Harvard Medical School's Neuroscientist Maria Mavrikaki said, "Physical exercise is a known protective factor in brain aging, which is why it would be valuable to assess the contribution of changes in exercise patterns during the pandemic, alongside psychological stress, within their model."
Other studies suggest that brain aging can be slowed down by lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, staying physically and mentally active, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep promotes healthy brain aging.
These small changes can add up to support the brain function in the future.
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