Rapid Brain Aging Revealed in Pandemic, According to Recent Research
Researchers have discovered that the ongoing isolation and uncertainty during lockdowns may have sped up brain aging, according to a study published in the prestigious journal Nature. The findings suggest that brain health is shaped not only by illness but also by how we live, connect, and cope under pressure.
Dr Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, one of the study's authors, was surprised by the results. He attributed the potential impact on brain health to factors like isolation and uncertainty during the pandemic. Joanna Konstantopoulou, a health psychologist, highlights the impact of social isolation on communities, citing studies led by researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of Chicago.
The deviation in brain age applies to all participants, even those who did not catch the virus during the pandemic. Chronic social disconnection and sustained stress can impair memory, emotional regulation, and executive functioning, according to Joanna Konstantopoulou. Studies in Nature Reviews Immunology support the role of oestrogen in buffering stress responses, which may explain why women may have fared better during the pandemic.
The study showed that even people not infected with COVID-19 experienced accelerated brain aging, manifested as shrinkage in brain regions critical for memory and emotional regulation, and declines in cognitive functions. This was largely attributed to pandemic-related stress and social isolation rather than the virus itself.
To combat this accelerated brain aging, lifestyle changes and coping mechanisms can help. High stress altered neural networks linked to resilience during the pandemic. Techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, regular exercise, and maintaining social connections can reduce chronic stress and promote brain plasticity.
A healthy diet enriched with bioactive compounds like curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and omega-3 fatty acids has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antioxidant effects that can modulate brain aging and improve mood. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, promotes neurogenesis (growth of new neurons), and improves executive function and processing speed, which are adversely affected by pandemic stress.
Mental stimulation through learning, puzzles, or social interaction helps maintain neural connectivity and counteracts age-related cognitive declines seen during the pandemic. Adequate sleep supports brain repair and memory consolidation, mitigating accelerated aging effects seen in stressful contexts like pandemic living.
Together, these lifestyle interventions target the biological pathways impacted by pandemic-era stress, such as inflammation, neurochemical balance, and neural network connectivity, which underlie the measurable acceleration in brain aging demonstrated by structural and cognitive changes. While no single approach fully reverses the effects, a combined regimen tailored to individual needs shows promise for slowing or partially reversing neurological aging post-pandemic.
However, more longitudinal studies and clinical trials are needed to define optimal strategies and dosing, especially for dietary bioactives, to solidify recommendations for reversing pandemic-related brain aging fully. The current focus is on biological age instead of chronological age, with the research revealing an average of "5.5-month deviation of brain age gap" after the pandemic. Brain health is an important part of biological age, and the research revealed that brain aging was particularly accelerated in men, older people, and those from deprived backgrounds.
The models were then applied to almost 1,000 participants of the UK Biobank study. Half of the participants underwent brain scans before the pandemic, and the rest afterwards. Those infected with Covid-19 performed more poorly on cognitive tests after the pandemic, with scans showing a drop in certain cognitive abilities, including mental flexibility and processing speed. The research used brain ageing models trained using data from over 15,000 healthy people.
Professor Dorothee Auer, a senior author of the study, suggests that it's possible to reverse the observed developments and lower biological age, though it's not possible to test whether the changes will reverse in the study. As we continue to navigate the challenges of the pandemic, it's clear that focusing on brain health and implementing lifestyle changes can help mitigate the impact on our cognitive abilities.
- Researchers found that brain aging may have been sped up during lockdowns, not only by illness but also by how we live, connect, and cope under pressure.
- Dr Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, one of the study's authors, was surprised by the results, attributing the potential impact on brain health to factors like isolation and uncertainty during the pandemic.
- Chronic social disconnection and sustained stress can impair memory, emotional regulation, and executive functioning, according to Joanna Konstantopoulou.
- To combat accelerated brain aging, lifestyle changes and coping mechanisms can help, including mindfulness, meditation, regular exercise, and maintaining social connections.
- A healthy diet enriched with bioactive compounds like curcumin, EGCG, and omega-3 fatty acids can modulate brain aging and improve mood, while exercise increases blood flow to the brain and improves cognitive functions.
- Focusing on brain health and implementing lifestyle changes can help mitigate the impact on our cognitive abilities as we continue to navigate the challenges of the pandemic.
