Study makes you sit up and notice: has Corona made us dumber?

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Scientists from the University of Exeter and King’s College London have been examining people’s brain performance since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic – and discovered something shocking: in some cases, mental performance has declined dramatically. However, it did not matter whether someone was infected with Corona or not.

For their study, the researchers examined approximately 3,000 participants from Great Britain aged 50 to 90. They performed computer-assisted brain function tests on them. For example, short-term memory and the ability to solve complex tasks were tested.

The cause is probably the consequences of the lockdowns

The scientists published their results in the renowned journal ‘The Lancet’. According to the study, cognitive skills deteriorated significantly in the first year of the pandemic; the scientists observed a 50 percent change in the rate of decline across the study group.

The researchers suspect that various consequences of the lockdowns, such as loneliness and depression, a decrease in physical activity and higher alcohol consumption, are the cause of the increased decline in brain performance. The negative trend continued into the second year of the pandemic. This suggests that the effects last longer than the initial period of lockdown, the scientists said.

An appeal to political decision makers

Co-author Anne Corbett said: “Our results suggest that lockdowns and other restrictions experienced during the pandemic are having a truly lasting impact on brain health in people aged 50 and over.” The study makes clear that political decision makers “must take into account the broader health impacts of restrictions such as lockdowns when planning future pandemic responses.”

People who already suffered from cognitive decline before Corona were particularly affected by the decline in brain performance. According to the study authors, it is possible to counteract the decline in brain capacity and reduce the risk of dementia. Previous studies have shown this. Increasing physical activity, treating existing depression and returning to a social environment with contact with other people can help.

According to Corbett, it is generally important to provide early support to people showing the first signs of cognitive decline. The scientist advises people who are concerned about their memory to make an appointment with their doctor. (no)

Source: Blick