Jahn Kirsten, Chatterjee Shambhabi, Sinke Christopher, Koberschinski Jonas Janik Ralf, Jünemann Kristin, James Clara Eline, Worschech Florian, Marie Damien, Altenmüller Eckart, Bär Christian, Krüger Tillmann Horst Christoph
Laboratory of Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Dept. Of Clinical Psychiatry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Institute for Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Geroscience. 2025 Mar 18. doi: 10.1007/s11357-025-01602-z.
The detrimental effects of lockdowns have already been proven by numerous studies, mainly using psychometric measurements. Since telomere shortening is a driver of aging and aging-associated disorders, including cognitive decline, the telomere length in the older population has been investigated in the current study. Measurements were taken over a 6-month period just before and during the 6 months that included the first lockdown. The cohort of 55 persons aged 64 to 70 years was investigated in the context of a study focusing on neuroplasticity. Participants were recruited in Germany and Switzerland and characterized by psychometric measurements concerning neurocognition and neuroplasticity. Telomere lengths were measured by real-time PCR-based LTL measurement. We found an impressive and significant decline in telomere lengths in the period that included the lockdown (2.33 (± 0.1) at T1 vs. 1.35 (± 0.1) at T2), whereas it was stable in the phase before the lockdown in the same individuals (T0 was 2.25 (± 0.1 S.E.M.) vs. T1, 2.33 (± 0.1)). Correlation of the sudden decrease revealed no linkage to health issues or general physical activity but was in trend related to a decline in the WHOQOL-BREF Social Score referring to the social interaction of the study participants. Our data support, at a biological level, the results of clinical and psychosocial studies showing the detrimental effects of lockdowns.
许多研究已证实封锁措施具有有害影响，这些研究主要采用心理测量方法。由于端粒缩短是衰老及衰老相关疾病（包括认知衰退）的驱动因素，因此在本研究中对老年人群的端粒长度进行了调查。测量在包括首次封锁在内的6个月期间的前6个月以及期间进行。在一项聚焦神经可塑性的研究背景下，对55名年龄在64至70岁之间的人群进行了调查。参与者在德国和瑞士招募，并通过有关神经认知和神经可塑性的心理测量进行特征描述。端粒长度通过基于实时PCR的LTL测量法进行测量。我们发现，在包括封锁期在内的时间段内，端粒长度出现了显著且令人印象深刻的下降（T1时为2.33（±0.1），T2时为1.35（±0.1）），而在同一人群的封锁期前阶段，端粒长度保持稳定（T0为2.25（±0.1标准误），T1为2.33（±0.1））。对这一突然下降的相关性分析表明，其与健康问题或一般身体活动无关，但与WHOQOL - BREF社会评分中涉及研究参与者社会互动方面的下降趋势有关。我们的数据在生物学层面上支持了临床和社会心理研究中显示封锁措施有害影响的结果。
