Research suggests experiencing racism may rewire the brain and accelerate ageing.

A recent study by researchers from the United States and Canada examined a cohort of 90 Black women in the US, and discovered that extensive exposure to racism is linked to altered brain connectivity and accelerated biological ageing.

The research found that women who encountered high levels of racial discrimination exhibited increased connections between the locus coeruleus (LC) and the precuneus. 

The locus coeruleus is involved in the body's stress response, while the precuneus is thought to play a role in rumination and the reliving of past events. 

This heightened connectivity suggests that racial discrimination may induce changes in emotion processing networks, making people more susceptible to stress-related disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.

The study found that these women also showed epigenetic signs of accelerated ageing in their DNA. 

The researchers found increased biological ageing markers due to DNA methylation changes. 

It suggests racial discrimination contributes to a faster ageing process at the genetic level, potentially increasing vulnerability to various health problems.

The authors of the study say that the frequency of racial discrimination is significantly associated with greater resting-state functional connectivity between the locus coeruleus and the precuneus. 

They also observed significant indirect effects of this brain connectivity on DNA methylation age acceleration, suggesting a pathway through which racial discrimination impacts biological ageing.

The full study is accessible here.