Major Dementia Risk Factors Were Affected

Unprecedented, draconian lockdowns and social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have had far-reaching impacts on people’s mental health. Gee – who could have predicted that!? A recent longitudinal study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, titled “Cognitive decline in older adults in the UK during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” sheds light on one such unintended consequence: the worsening cognitive health of lockdown victims.

The study utilised data from the PROTECT study, focussing on the cognitive health of older adults in the UK. It found a significant decline in executive function and working memory during the first year of the pandemic, persisting into the second year for working memory. Notably, this decline was observed across the entire cohort, including those with mild cognitive impairment and those who had a history of COVID-19.

Key findings from the study include: