Study Reveals Long-Term Financial Hardship Linked to Decline in Brain Health
Long-term financial hardship is linked to poorer cognitive conditions and brain health as individuals enter old age. These findings were revealed in a study examining the trajectory of an individual’s economic condition from young adulthood to later life.
The study, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, analysed data from 2,759 individuals in the UK who were part of the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (MRC NSHD), also known as the British 1946 birth cohort.
Researchers found that individuals who experienced financial difficulties or had consistently low incomes during early and mid-adulthood tended to perform worse on cognitive tests at age 53. Among the group of participants who underwent brain scans, those with sustained low incomes also showed poorer brain health between the ages of 69 and 71, including greater brain shrinkage.
This relationship remained evident after researchers accounted for other factors, such as childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment, and disadvantages experienced during early childhood.
The study’s lead author, Dr Jacques Wels from University College London (UCL), stated that decades of research show that accumulated long-term financial hardship is more closely linked to poor cognitive health outcomes than occasional financial problems.
“It is the accumulation of hardship over many years that is associated with the worst cognitive health outcomes, rather than occasional episodes of difficulty,” said Wels.
The link between financial hardship and poorer brain health appeared stronger in men, individuals who experienced hardship since childhood, and those carrying the APOE-ε4 genetic variant, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers suspect that chronic stress resulting from financial problems may be one contributing factor. Constant worry regarding money can also increase cognitive load, thereby reducing mental capacity to perform other tasks.
In the study, participants’ economic conditions were tracked at ages 26, 43, and 53. Approximately 16% of participants were categorised as having sustained low incomes, while 12% experienced continuous financial hardship.
Participants’ cognitive abilities were assessed through verbal memory and processing speed tests, while MRI scans were used to observe indicators of brain health, including brain atrophy and ventricular enlargement.
Senior author of the study, Professor Praveetha Patalay from UCL, stated that the research findings suggest that reducing chronic poverty and helping society cope with financial difficulties could potentially contribute to the prevention of future cognitive decline and dementia.
Nevertheless, the research demonstrates a correlation rather than direct evidence that financial hardship causes dementia.
The British 1946 birth cohort study, which served as the data source, has followed its participants since birth, providing researchers with the opportunity to observe the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and health throughout almost an entire lifetime.