A long-running UK study suggests that the accumulation of money problems over several decades may be more damaging to brain health than occasional financial setbacks.
Could persistent financial hardship gradually affect how the brain ages?
A study led by University College London found that people who experienced long-term money struggles or persistently low income during early and middle adulthood performed less well on cognitive tests by age 53.
Among participants who later underwent brain scans, persistent low income was also associated with poorer brain health between ages 69 and 71, including greater brain shrinkage and enlargement of the brain’s fluid-filled cavities.
The peer-reviewed study analysed data from 2,759 people enrolled in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, also known as the 1946 British birth cohort.
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Decades of Financial Strain Leave a Deeper Cognitive Mark
Participants reported their household income at ages 26, 43 and 53. Those who remained in the lowest-income fifth of the group on at least two occasions were classified as having persistent low income.
Financial hardship was assessed separately using questions about difficulty managing income and paying household bills between ages 36 and 53.
Researchers found that the accumulation of hardship over several years was more strongly associated with poorer cognitive outcomes than occasional financial difficulty.
Corresponding author Dr Jacques Wels said:
“It is the accumulation of hardship over many years that is linked to the worst cognitive health outcomes.”
The associations remained even after researchers accounted for childhood cognitive ability, education and early-life disadvantage.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Persistent financial adversity and cognitive aging: a life course investigation
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Brain Scans Reveal Signs of Poorer Brain Ageing
The study assessed verbal memory and processing speed, while magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure structural indicators of brain health.
People exposed to persistent low income showed more brain atrophy, meaning loss of brain tissue, and greater ventricular expansion, which refers to enlargement of fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.
These changes are commonly viewed as signs of poorer brain ageing, although they do not by themselves confirm dementia or another neurological disease.
The results show an association rather than proving that financial hardship directly causes brain shrinkage or cognitive decline.
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How Financial Stress May Accelerate Brain Ageing
Researchers suggested several possible pathways linking financial strain with cognitive ageing.
Long-term stress can increase inflammation, which has been associated with accelerated brain ageing. Constant worry about bills and income may also increase cognitive load, leaving fewer mental resources available for memory, concentration and decision-making.
Financial hardship may additionally influence sleep, nutrition, access to healthcare and health-related behaviours, all of which can affect long-term brain health.
The associations were particularly strong among men, people who experienced childhood disadvantage and carriers of the APOE-ε4 genetic variant, which is linked to a higher risk of
Persistent financial adversity and cognitive aging: a life course investigation
Tackling Financial Hardship May Support Healthier Brain Ageing
Senior author Professor Praveetha Patalay said:
“Supporting people facing financial hardship and reducing chronic poverty could also help prevent cognitive decline and dementia cases in the future.”
The findings suggest that brain-health prevention may require more than encouraging individual lifestyle changes. Policies that reduce long-term financial insecurity, improve access to healthcare and support families during periods of hardship could also contribute to healthier cognitive ageing.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Persistent financial adversity and cognitive aging: a life course investigation
Because the study followed one British generation born in 1946, the results may not apply equally to younger populations or people living in different economic and social conditions.
Further research is needed to determine whether reducing financial hardship can directly slow cognitive decline.
Reference:
- Persistent financial adversity and cognitive aging: a life course investigation- (https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/article/10/8/igag054/8739704)
Source-Medindia