ISTANBUL

New research has shown that brain ageing grew faster during the COVID-19 pandemic even for people who did not catch the virus.

The research by British scientists showed that lockdowns, fear, and isolation endured during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic could have lasting impacts on people's cognitive function.

Researchers examined brain scans from nearly 1,000 healthy adults to figure out the pandemic’s impact on brain ageing, using data from the UK Biobank.

Besides older people, “accelerated brain ageing is more pronounced in males and those from deprived socio-demographic backgrounds and these deviations exist regardless of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the study published in Nature Communications, a multidisciplinary journal, found.

It noted that the socio-psychological factors, besides the infection, affected brain ageing.

“Beyond direct infection effects, the pandemic may have independently influenced brain ageing due to psychosocial stressors, social disruptions, and lifestyle changes, particularly among vulnerable groups such as older adults and individuals experiencing economic hardship,” it said.

According to the research, solely participants who were infected during the pandemic showed a decline in cognitive performance such as flexibility and processing speed tasks, although participants who experienced the pandemic without reported infection still had age-related declines.

“Our findings highlight the need to address health and socio-economic inequalities in addition to lifestyle factors to mitigate accelerated brain ageing,” the research concluded.