How living through a recession can make your brain slower: Being made redundant in middle age causes memory loss (especially in men) The effects of a recession have been linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline affecting abilities such as memory, verbal fluency and numeracy The more recessions a person lives through, the greater their risk is Men are worst affected in old age by recessions when they are middle aged Women suffer cognitive decline in old age as a result of recessions when they are in their 20s and 30s Being made redundant, forced to take a lower paid job, or having to work part-time in mid-life causes a loss of memory in old age Everyone knows that living through a recession can be bad for the career and bank balance, but new research suggests it can also be bad for the brain. Weathering a recession in middle age can make people less intelligent in old age, a study has found. Being made redundant, forced to take a lower paid job, or having to work part-time in mid-life causes a loss of memory in old age, the researchers said. The effects of a recession have been linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline affecting abilities such as memory, verbal fluency and numeracy. Previous research suggested working conditions may influence the potential to build up â€˜cognitive reserveâ€™, which in turn influences cognitive performance at a later age. However, higher cognitive ability may have meant a worker got better jobs and working environments. So, scientists in research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health set out to examine if economic recessions, over which individuals have no control, made any difference. Their study looked at factors such as the health, employment, and social conditions of 12,000 people in 11 European countries aged 50 and older. Participants' cognitive abilities were assessed in 2004-5 and 2006-7. The results were linked to detailed work histories, retrospectively collected in 2008-9, as well as to annual data on per capita fluctuations in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in each country between 1959 and 2003, to gauge the number and depth of economic downturns. The researchers then looked at the potential impact of recessions experienced at ages 25 to 34, 35 to 44, and 44 to 49 on cognitive ability at ages 50 to 74. The average number of recessions experienced ranged from 0.73 for men between the ages of 45 and 49 to 1.33 for women between the ages of 35 and 44. The analysis showed that men who did not live through any recession in their mid to late 40s had a better cognitive score at ages 50 to 74, compared with those who had experienced recessions. The impact of a recession on women seemed to occur earlier â€" those who experienced a recession in their mid-20s to mid-30s experienced lower cognitive function later in life. Economic recessions during these periods were associated with several labour market outcomes, such as lay-offs, enforced part-time working, and the need to take lower paid, lower status work. Dr Simon Ridley, Head of Research at Alzheimerâ€™s Research UK, said: 'This large study suggests that the work people do throughout their life may affect their cognition in later life, but itâ€™s important to note that this research doesnâ€™t tell us that recessions cause cognitive decline. These findings lend more weight to the theory that mental activity may help people maintain their cognitive abilities as they grow older, but itâ€™s not clear what other factors may have played a part in these results. One drawback of this research is that the people involved only had their cognition measured once, and only in later life, meaning itâ€™s not possible to know how far their abilities declined over time. We should remember that the people in this study did not have dementia, but understanding factors linked to cognitive decline could also be important for finding ways to prevent the condition. As the number of people with dementia increases, investment in research is crucial if we are to find new strategies to help delay or prevent the condition.