The brains of healthy individuals aged faster during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to those analyzed prior. Accelerated brain ageing was noted in non-infected individuals, particularly among older adults and men. While cognitive decline was evident only in those infected with COVID-19, faster brain ageing did not equate to cognitive impairment. Research indicates significant impacts of the pandemic environment on mental health. The reversibility of these brain changes remains uncertain due to the limited analysis timeframe. Previous findings show a link between SARS-CoV-2 and neurodegeneration, but few studies focused on the broader impacts of the pandemic on brain ageing.
The accelerated ageing occurred even in people who didn't become infected, with structural changes in brain scans most noticeable in older people, male participants, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Cognitive tests revealed that mental agility declined only in participants who picked up a case of COVID-19, suggesting that faster brain ageing doesn't necessarily translate into impaired thinking and memory.
It's unclear whether the pandemic-associated brain ageing is reversible since the study only analysed scans taken at two time points.
The study underlines how significant the pandemic environment was for mental and neurological health, highlighting the impact of social isolation and lifestyle disruptions.
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