Overview

• Researchers analyzed MRI scans from nearly 1,000 UK Biobank participants aged 47–80 and found that pandemic-related stress accelerated brain aging by an average of 5.5 months.
• Isolation, uncertainty and other stressors linked to the COVID-19 era were associated with structural brain changes in uninfected individuals.
• Only participants who contracted COVID-19 showed measurable declines in mental flexibility and processing speed on cognitive tests.
• Brain-age gap increases were most pronounced among older adults, men and people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The study’s observational design precludes causal conclusions, prompting calls for further research on reversibility and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups.