A new study from the Shanghai Aging Study, supported by the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute, found that the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated cognitive decline and brain aging in older adults.
Researchers followed nearly 4,000 Shanghai residents for over a decade, comparing memory, thinking, and brain scans before and after the city’s 2022 Omicron lockdown. After the pandemic, participants—especially those already at higher risk for Alzheimer’s or other health issues—showed faster declines in memory and reasoning, along with greater brain shrinkage.
The results suggest that the biological and social stresses of the pandemic had measurable effects on brain health, highlighting the need to better protect and support older adults during future public health crises.