Where you live may leave a measurable mark on your brain, according to a new study published in Radiology, the journal of the Radiological Society of North America. Researchers analysed nearly 3,000 brain MRI scans from patients aged 18 to 96 and compared them with an Area Deprivation Index (ADI) score, a neighbourhood-level measure of socioeconomic disadvantage based on income, education, employment, and housing. The index reflects the conditions of a place, not the circumstances of any individual resident.
The results, presented at the society's annual meeting, show that people living in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods had a higher “brain age” and lower total brain volume than those in less deprived areas. They also had higher volumes of white matter hyperintensities—bright spots on MRI scans that indicate damage to small blood vessels in the brain.
“Where you live leaves a measurable imprint on your brain,” said John-Paul J. Yu, a radiologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and one of the study's authors. He added that an individual's environment has “clear, quantifiable implications for brain age, and, by proxy, brain health.”
Structural inequities and brain health
The findings add to a growing body of evidence that the conditions in which people are born, live, work, and age can shape long-term neurological health. In Europe, where urban and rural disparities persist across the 27 member states and beyond, the results resonate with ongoing debates about regional inequality. From the housing and cost-of-living pledges in France to healthcare promises in Sweden, policymakers are grappling with how place affects well-being.
White matter hyperintensities are “essentially the footprints of cardiovascular damage in the brain,” Yu explained. He pointed to factors such as high blood pressure, poor sleep, and chronic stress, which can affect blood flow to the brain over time. Higher volumes of these lesions have been associated with an increased risk of memory loss, cognitive problems, and dementia.
The study's authors stress that neighbourhood disadvantage should be considered when designing health interventions and public policy. “Neighbourhood disadvantage, quantified by indices such as the ADI, is an important determinant because it reflects accumulated structural inequities extending beyond individual behaviours that contribute to disparities in clinical outcomes,” Yu said.
The research aligns with other recent findings on brain health. For instance, lifelong reading habits have been shown to protect the aging brain, while night-time light exposure has been linked to heart damage. These studies collectively suggest that both lifestyle and environment play crucial roles in neurological well-being.
While the study was conducted in the United States, its implications are global. In Europe, where cities like Berlin, Paris, and Warsaw face their own patterns of segregation and deprivation, the findings could inform urban planning and health policy. The European Union's cohesion policy, which aims to reduce regional disparities, may need to consider brain health as an outcome measure.
The researchers used a well-established index that has been validated in multiple countries, including several European nations. However, they caution that the ADI is a proxy for a complex set of factors, and individual experiences can vary widely within a neighbourhood.
As Europe's population ages, understanding the links between place and brain health becomes ever more critical. The study offers a stark reminder that the environment we create for each other has consequences that reach far beyond the visible.
