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A UCLA-led study found that adults whose brains appeared older than their actual age tended to score lower on working-memory and executive-function tests and report more depressive symptoms. In one of three participant groups, a higher brain-aging score was also associated with particular gut bacteria and metabolic compounds; the study does not show that gut changes cause brain aging.
A UCLA Health study of nearly 1,500 adults found that people whose brain scans suggested an older brain than their chronological age tended to perform worse on some memory and thinking tests and report more symptoms of depression. In one of the three study groups, researchers also linked the brain-aging measure to specific gut bacteria and metabolic compounds, findings that point to an association, not proof that gut microbes cause changes in the brain.
The researchers used resting-state brain scans to measure how different brain regions communicated. A computer model estimated each participant’s age from those patterns, and the team compared that estimate with the person’s actual age. They called the difference the Brain Aging Index (BAI); a higher score indicated a brain estimated to be older relative to chronological age.
Across all three groups, a higher BAI was generally associated with lower performance on tests of working memory and executive function, skills involved in holding information in mind, focusing, planning and organizing. Participants with higher scores also reported more depressive symptoms. The report says the patterns repeatedly involved brain areas linked with memory and self-referential thought.
For one group, the team analyzed stool samples alongside brain data. Higher BAI was associated with particular gut bacteria, several fat-related molecules, a cholesterol-related compound and lower levels of the hormone estetrol. The reported biological pathways related to immune activity, blood-vessel function, communication between brain cells and cellular energy production. The findings identify correlations; they do not establish that these bacteria or compounds drive brain aging.
Early Signals Across Brain and Gut
The work adds a possible gut-related dimension to research on brain-age estimates, which have mostly been studied in older people or those with neurological conditions, according to the report. The UCLA team examined whether the measure also relates to memory, thinking and mood in adults who were not selected solely for having such conditions. The reported associations across three groups suggest the brain-age measure may be relevant beyond those populations, although they do not establish a clinical test for individuals.
In the group with stool analyses, the overlap between brain-age estimates and gut-related signals gives researchers specific leads to investigate. If future studies establish how these factors relate over time, they could help clarify biological processes connected with cognitive or mood changes. For now, the results do not show that changing a person’s gut bacteria would slow brain aging or prevent decline, and they do not support using gut tests to predict an individual’s future health.
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How the Brain-Age Score Was Built
Brain age is an estimate derived from biological measurements, rather than a person’s calendar age. The report notes that earlier studies have associated an older-appearing brain with poorer memory, weaker thinking skills and mood changes, but much of that research involved older adults or people with neurological conditions. This study extended the question to three groups of adults and used patterns of communication between brain regions while participants were at rest.
The analysis compared modeled brain age with chronological age to create the BAI. The stool-sample analysis was conducted in one group only, so the gut findings do not have the same multi-group replication described for the cognitive and mood associations. The study was published in eBioMedicine, according to the source report.
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Cause and Clinical Use Remain Open
The reported results show associations, not cause and effect. They do not establish whether gut bacteria or their chemical products influence brain aging, whether brain-related changes affect the gut, or whether other factors contribute to both. The source report does not provide enough detail to determine the size of each association or how well the BAI could predict outcomes for an individual.
It is also unclear whether the gut-related findings would appear in other populations, since stool samples were assessed in only one of the three groups. The report does not describe a tested intervention, a clinical screening threshold or evidence that modifying the microbiome changes cognitive or mood outcomes. The possible value of the findings for early risk identification remains a research proposition.
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Follow-Up Studies Must Test the Links
The next step is for researchers to test whether these associations hold in other participant groups and over time, and to clarify how the identified bacteria and metabolites relate to brain measures. Studies would also need to determine whether the signals predict later changes in cognition or mood rather than simply occurring alongside a higher BAI.
Church said the results could guide research into whether gut health might eventually be a target for supporting brain aging. That possibility remains untested: the report identifies no specific dietary, probiotic or medical intervention, and gives no timetable for clinical applications.
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Key Questions
What does a higher Brain Aging Index mean?
In this study, the Brain Aging Index was the difference between a model’s brain-age estimate, based on resting-state scan patterns, and a participant’s actual age. A higher value indicated a brain estimated to be older relative to chronological age.
Did the study show that gut bacteria cause the brain to age?
No. The researchers reported associations between the brain-aging measure and gut bacteria or metabolites in one participant group. The findings do not establish which factor, if any, causes the other.
Were memory and mood findings seen in all the groups?
The report says that across all three groups, higher BAI was generally associated with poorer working-memory and executive-function test performance and more reported depressive symptoms. The stool-sample analysis was limited to one group.
Can a gut test predict how quickly my brain is aging?
The study does not establish a clinical gut test or a way to predict an individual’s brain aging. More research would be needed to confirm the findings, test prediction, and determine whether the associations are useful in clinical care.
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