A new study from the University of Nottingham has found that simply living through the Covid-19 pandemic may have sped up brain aging—even in people who were never infected with the virus.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, looked at brain scans from nearly 1,000 healthy adults and found signs of faster brain aging after the pandemic began.
Brain aging doesn’t just mean getting older in years. It also refers to how the brain changes in structure and function over time. This research suggests that the stress, isolation, and uncertainty caused by the pandemic may have taken a toll on people’s brain health.
The researchers used brain scans from the UK Biobank study, where participants had their brains scanned before and after the pandemic. Some people had scans only before the pandemic, while others had scans both before and after.
The team used advanced imaging and artificial intelligence to estimate each person’s “brain age.” This number shows how old a brain looks, based on physical signs, compared to the person’s real age.
They found that people who lived through the pandemic showed faster brain aging over time than those who were scanned before it. The effect was more noticeable in older adults, men, and people from poorer backgrounds.
Interestingly, only people who had been infected with Covid-19 between their scans showed a drop in thinking abilities, such as processing speed and mental flexibility.
That means the brain aging caused by the pandemic experience alone (without infection) didn’t seem to cause obvious symptoms. Researchers also say this kind of brain aging may be reversible.
Dr. Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, who led the study, said he was surprised to see that even people who had never caught Covid showed clear signs of faster brain aging. He said the experience of the pandemic—including being isolated, feeling uncertain, and dealing with life changes—might have affected people’s brain health.
Professor Dorothee Auer, a senior author of the study, said this research is a reminder that brain health is not just influenced by illness. It can also be affected by everyday life and major events.
She pointed out that the pandemic put a big strain on many people, especially those already facing difficult life situations. While it’s not clear yet if these brain changes will go away over time, she said it’s possible—and that’s a hopeful message.
Another researcher, Professor Stamatios Sotiropoulos, said the UK Biobank gave them a rare chance to look at how big life events like the pandemic can affect the brain, using brain scans taken over many years.
This research highlights the idea that mental health and brain health can be affected by more than just disease. It shows how deeply life experiences can shape us—and why it’s important to support people not just physically, but mentally and emotionally during tough times like a global pandemic.
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The study is published in Nature Communications.
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