A ground‑breaking UK Biobank study, published in Nature Communications, has revealed that the COVID‑19 pandemic aged our brains—regardless of whether we actually had the virus.
Using advanced MRI analysis and machine learning, researchers from the University of Nottingham tracked changes in nearly 1,000 healthy adults to measure “brain age” relative to chronological age.
Participants were divided into two key groups. The control group had two brain scans before March 2020. The pandemic group had one scan before and another during the pandemic (between 2021 and 2022). Both groups were similar in age, health status, and socioeconomic profile at the outset.
Using a baseline model derived from over 15,000 healthy pre‑pandemic scans, the team trained the algorithm to predict normal brain aging based on grey and white matter features. Applying this to the test groups, they found the brains of the pandemic cohort appeared approximately 5.5 months older than would be expected under normal aging.
Infected vs Non‑Infected
Interestingly, this accelerated aging occurred in both those who had been infected with SARS‑CoV‑2 and those who had not. However, only participants who had Covid showed measurable declines in cognitive performance—including slower processing speed and reduced mental flexibility.
Sex and Socioeconomic Impact
Males and individuals from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds were disproportionately affected. Men exhibited a larger brain‑age gap compared to women, and those from disadvantaged areas showed more pronounced changes.
The study estimated that males experienced a roughly 33% greater acceleration than females, with older participants and those with lower employment or education also more vulnerable.
Possible Causes
While it’s still unclear what drove these changes, the lead author, Ali‑Reza Mohammadi‑Nejad, highlighted several pandemic‑related stressors: social isolation, disrupted routines, increased anxiety, reduced physical activity, poor sleep, and economic uncertainty.
Supporting Evidence from Teens
A similar scenario played out in adolescents. A University of Washington–led study in PNAS reported that adolescent brain development accelerated during the pandemic lockdowns—by about 1.4 years in boys and 4.2 years in girls, as measured by cortical thinning.
This indicates stress‑induced aging effects across age groups.
Expert Perspectives
Neuropsychologists and clinicians praised the methodology but urged caution. Jacqueline Becker at Mount Sinai noted that only infected individuals showed cognitive deficits despite structural aging.
Columbia’s Adam Brickman described the findings as compelling yet a “hypothesis,” stressing the need for longer‑term follow‑up.
Imperial College’s Eugene Duff emphasized the importance of the study: “It quantifies…brain health associations of the pandemic…independent of the infection itself”.
Oxford’s Masud Husain cautioned, however, that small average differences of ~5 months may not translate to noticeable real‑world effects.
What It Means for You
Even absent infection, the pandemic’s cumulative stressors had measurable effects on brain structure. The silver lining? Brain aging isn’t irreversible. Experts recommend lifestyle strategies to reverse or slow these changes:
- Regular physical exercise
- Healthy diet and sleep hygiene
- Social connections and cognitive engagement
- Stress management
Conclusion
The pandemic’s legacy may include accelerated brain aging across the population—not just among the ill. For those who got COVID, this accompanied cognitive decline. But there’s hope: lifestyle changes that support brain health could potentially reverse or mitigate these effects. Continued monitoring, research, and proactive public health strategies are crucial to safeguarding our cognitive futures.
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