Long-Term Poverty May Damage the Brain by by Age 50

Decades of financial hardship may do more than strain household budgets-they could also accelerate brain aging and increase the risk of cognitive decline later in life. A long-running study conducted by researchers at University College London (UCL) found that persistent low income was associated with poorer memory, slower information processing, and measurable changes in brain structure. Researchers Link Chronic Poverty to Brain Atrophy The study analyzed data from 2,759 participants in Britain's National Survey of Health and Development, a lifelong project that has followed individuals born in 1946. Researchers examined participants' income levels at ages 26, 43, and 53 before comparing their cognitive performance and brain health later in life. People who consistently remained among the lowest 20% of earners performed significantly worse on memory and processing speed tests by age 53. MRI scans performed at age 70 also revealed greater brain atrophy and enlarged ventricles-fluid-filled spaces whose expansion is commonly associated with age-related cognitive decline.