A UCL analysis of 2,759 people born in 1946 found that persistent financial hardship across adulthood was linked to lower scores on verbal memory and processing speed tests and to MRI markers of accelerated brain ageing. Effects were strongest in men, those with disadvantaged childhoods, and carriers of the APOE-ε4 gene. The study is observational, so it cannot prove causation, and the authors call for further research to test whether improving long-term financial circumstances can reduce dementia risk.
Long-Term Financial Hardship Linked to Faster Brain Ageing, UCL Study Finds
Couple worried about money
A new study led by researchers at University College London (UCL) suggests that persistent financial hardship across adulthood is associated with poorer cognitive performance and MRI evidence of accelerated brain ageing later in life.
Adults who faced persistent financial hardship showed poorer cognitive performance and signs of accelerated brain aging later in life, according to a new study.
Study and Methods
The research analysed data from 2,759 participants in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, a U.K. birth cohort of people born in 1946. Participants reported their financial circumstances across the life course and completed cognitive tests assessing verbal memory and processing speed. A subset underwent MRI brain scans to measure structural markers commonly linked to ageing, such as reduced brain volume and enlarged ventricles.
Participants who reported experiencing persistent financial hardship or low income performed worse on cognitive tests that assessed verbal memory and processing speed.
Key Findings
People who experienced persistent low income or prolonged financial strain scored lower on cognitive tests and showed MRI signs consistent with accelerated brain ageing. Associations were strongest among men, participants who grew up in disadvantaged childhoods, and carriers of the APOE-ε4 variant, which is associated with higher Alzheimer’s risk.
Those who had persistent low income also showed poorer brain health based on MRI scans, which measured markers of aging like brain shrinkage and enlarged ventricles.
Possible Mechanisms
The authors propose two plausible explanations: chronic stress from long-term financial adversity may promote inflammation and other biological processes that harm the brain, and persistent financial worry may increase cognitive load over decades, reducing cognitive reserve.
Limitations
The study is observational, so it cannot prove causation. Although researchers adjusted for many potential confounders, unmeasured factors might still partly explain the associations. The cohort’s life-course experiences reflect the historical context of people born in 1946, which may limit how directly findings apply to younger generations.
Implications
While the results do not prove that improving finances will prevent cognitive decline, they add to evidence that long-term socioeconomic adversity can affect brain health. The authors call for further research to test whether interventions that reduce persistent poverty and chronic stress across the life course can help lower the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
Dr. Jacques Wels, Unit for Lifelong Health & Ageing at UCL, said the study strengthens understanding of how life-course financial adversity relates to cognitive ageing and brain structure.
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