THE ESSENTIAL
- Sickle cell disease is a disease caused by an abnormality of hemoglobin, a protein found inside red blood cells.
- In one study, sickle cell patients had brains that appeared on average 14 years older than their actual age.
- People who have difficulty meeting their basic needs, even in the absence of this genetic disease, also have an older brain, more precisely by 7 years.
Particularly common among people of African, West Indian and certain parts of the Indian subcontinent, sickle cell disease, also called “sickle cell anemia”, is a genetic pathology due to the production of abnormal hemoglobin (Hb), called HbS, which causes the deformation of red blood cells which become fragile and rigid. Previously, this disease and socioeconomic status have both been associated with altered brain structure and cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, “the mechanisms underlying these associations are unclear.” This is why researchers from Washington University in Saint-Louis (United States) carried out a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Sickle cell anemia: 14 more years for the brains of patients
As part of the research, the team recruited 230 young adults, including 123 with sickle cell disease. Participants underwent an MRI and cognitive assessment. The scientists then calculated each person’s brain age using a brain age prediction tool developed from brain scans taken from a group of more than 14,000 healthy people aged known. The estimated brain age was compared to the patient’s actual age. Data showed that people with sickle cell disease had brains that appeared on average 14 years older than their actual age. They also performed poorly on cognitive tests.
-“The more severe the economic deprivation”, the wider the brain age gap
Another observation: socioeconomic status was linked to brain age. On average, a gap of seven years was found between the brain age and the actual age of volunteers among healthy young adults living in poverty. “The more severe the economic deprivation, the older the brains of these participants appeared. (…) Thus, sickle cell anemia and economic deprivation could impact brain development and/or aging, which ultimately affects “It takes into account the mental processes involved in thinking, memory, and problem solving, among other things. Understanding this can lead to treatments and preventative measures that could potentially preserve cognitive function.”
Health
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