Scientists have found that having low household income is associated with the faster decay of white matter.
Poverty and Brain Aging
Though white matter levels typically decline with age, it appeared that living in poverty could accelerate the process.
Such findings result from an analysis comprising 751 individuals from 50 to 91 years of age. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Lausanne as well as the University of Geneva. Findings were documented in the "The neurobiology of life course socioeconomic conditions and associated cognitive performance in middle to late adulthood" study.
After age, sex, and key health issues were accounted for, the research observed that individuals from poorer households exhibited more white matter agins in the brains based on their MRI scans. These individuals also had a lower cognitive test score compared to those from wealthier households.
The researchers note that the study wanted to offer insight regarding the pathways that link socioeconomic exposure with the cognitive performance and brain microstructure during middle adulthood until late adulthood.
Financial Standing and Health
When it comes to message and signal relay around the brian, white matter plays a pivotal role. The quantity of available white matter could affect cognitive ability. For a long time, living in poverty, or having a chronic socioeconomic disadvantage xposure, has been linked to poor health and accelerated cognitive decline.
Here, the team wanted to take a deeper look into why this is the case. They observed that the count of fibers that branch from individual neurons, or neurite density, and the level of protective coating of the fibers, or myelination, appeared to fuel the white matter's rapid breakdown.
Earlier studies that looked into socioeconomic levels and the brain mainly focused on the overall volume of the brian. Now, as associations in finer structures have been noted, the potential mechanisms behind this could be investigated further.
The study found how molecules freely move in the brain (mean diffusivity). This appears to depend on the myelin amount and neuron branches density, implying that these are crucial factors.
However, among individuals who were from higher-income households, this white matter brain aging markers did not negatively affect cognitive performance as much. The researchers note that individuals from higher-income households exhibited cognitive performance even with lower myelination, greater mean diffusivity, and lower neurite density.
This shows that having more money and income could serve as a buffer to combat cognitive decline even when physical changes were observed. This suggests that there could be another underlying mechanism behind such changes.
As studies have not closely looked into the relationship between income levels and brain microstructures, the identification of this association means that it can be investigated further in more diverse and larger groups and among wider economic disparities.
The team also did not look into other environmental and social factors that could affect white matter. Nevertheless, their study shows that being more financially well off could mean a healthier life as well.
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