(Dallas Express)—A new study suggests that the pandemic may have had a significant impact on our brains, whether or not we contracted COVID-19.
Leveraging an extensive database of brain scans, British researchers say that people’s brains showed accelerated aging during 2021 and 2022, including signs of shrinkage.
While people who were infected with COVID also showed cognitive decline, like slower processing speed, the study was notable because it said even the non-infected were likely to experience harm to their brain.
While the study did not delve into the exact causes of the accelerated aging, the study’s first author, Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, a neuroimaging researcher at the University of Nottingham, theorizes that it may have been the result of stress and other factors.
“But it is likely that the cumulative experience of the pandemic—including psychological stress, social isolation, disruptions in daily life, reduced activity and wellness—contributed to the observed changes… In this sense, the pandemic period itself appears to have left a mark on our brains, even in the absence of infection,” said Mohammadi-Nejad, per NBC.
- Read More: dallasexpress.com
