Pandemic Stress Accelerated Brain Aging by 5.5 Months

The study analyzed pre-pandemic MRI scans from over 15,000 UK Biobank participants and follow-up imaging of nearly 1,000 volunteers to model shifts in brain age. Researchers found that prolonged isolation, chronic stress and financial insecurity during COVID-19 lockdowns corresponded to an average 5.5-month increase in estimated brain age, even in uninfected individuals. Men, older adults and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experienced more pronounced accelerated brain aging compared to other populations. Participants who contracted SARS-CoV-2 showed additional cognitive declines, including reduced mental flexibility and slower processing speed. Authors express cautious optimism about potential recovery but say long-term reversibility of these pandemic-linked brain alterations remains uncertain.

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