Persistent Financial Hardship Linked to Later-Life Brain Shrinkage

A decades-long study links persistent financial hardship with lower midlife cognitive scores and more brain shrinkage later in life.

Mind

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A long-running study of adults born in Britain in 1946 found a link between lasting financial hardship and brain health decades later. Researchers followed 2,759 people and tracked household income and financial difficulties at several points during adulthood. People with repeated low income or ongoing trouble managing money tended to score lower on tests of memory and processing speed at age 53. In a smaller group who received brain scans around ages 69 to 71, persistent low income was also linked with greater brain shrinkage. The associations remained after researchers accounted for factors including childhood cognitive ability, education and childhood disadvantage. The study also found some differences between groups, although the researchers described the smaller subgroup findings as suggestive rather than conclusive. Importantly, the research does not prove that financial hardship directly causes brain shrinkage. Long-term stress, limited resources and the mental burden of constantly dealing with financial problems are possible pathways, but other factors may also contribute. The findings add to a growing body of research connecting financial conditions with long-term mental and physical health.

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