Adults facing ongoing financial difficulties may experience diminished cognitive abilities and signs of accelerated brain aging later in life. This observation comes from a study by researchers at University College London, examining 2,759 participants in the UK from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, born in 1946.
Those who reported enduring financial hardship or consistently low income had poorer outcomes on cognitive tests designed to measure verbal memory and processing speed. Furthermore, MRI scans indicated that these individuals showed markers of aging like brain shrinkage and enlarged ventricles.
“[While] we know well that cognitive decline is associated with both genetic risks and adverse childhood experience, we knew very little about what happens during the life course… particularly, the experience of persistent financial stress over the lifetime,” stated Dr. Jacques Wels, a study author from UCL’s Unit for Lifelong Health & Ageing.
The most pronounced effects were noted among men, individuals from disadvantaged childhoods, and those carrying the APOE-ε4 genetic variant linked to Alzheimer’s disease risk. Wels emphasized that cognitive decline involves genetic risks and personal behaviors and is also influenced by life’s uncontrollable experiences.
Researchers propose that chronic stress from persistent financial hardship over decades, rather than short-term periods, correlates with faster cognitive aging. Stress may lead to inflammation or an increased cognitive load due to ongoing financial concerns. Despite the study’s observational design limiting causation claims, it highlighted the potential impact of lifelong financial strain on brain health.
Wels noted that the cohort’s life course depends on contextual factors unique to those born in 1946. For example, stronger effects seen in males may reflect the societal breadwinner role not as prevalent in newer generations. Although accounting for various influences, unmeasured factors could have affected the findings.
The study underlines the importance of addressing long-term poverty to potentially safeguard brain health. However, further research is needed to establish if improving financial conditions can directly reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.