Covid pandemic caused anxious over-50s to suffer 'six years' of memory decline, researchers say

Anxious and depressed over-50s suffered the equivalent of six years of memory decline during the first year of the pandemic, researchers revealed yesterday. Poor mental health in lockdown corresponded with plunging scores on short-term memory tests, said researchers from the University of Exeter and King’s College London. Poor mental health in lockdown corresponded with plunging scores on short-term memory tests, said researchers from the University of Exeter and King’s College London Dr Sara Imarisio of Alzheimer’s Research UK said: ‘While these findings are intriguing, depression and anxiety can often have short-term effects on memory and thinking skills that may not be an indication of future dementia.’ The study was presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference in Boston, US. ‘We need to understand this better so we can create effective strategies to support people and preserve both mental health and brain health in future pandemics.’ The study aims to help researchers understand what factors are involved in how the brain ages, and what can be done to keep our minds health in later life The study utilised measures of depression and anxiety severity commonly used in clinic. Professor Dag Aarsland, from King’s College London, added: ‘We had five years of mental health reports and online scores in brain tests, which has enabled us to pinpoint the impact of the pandemic.