Brain age meta-analysis points to biomarker potential in mental disorders
A meta-analysis of 68 studies found patients with mental disorders consistently showed higher brain age than healthy controls. The largest effects were seen in schizophrenia spectrum and neurocognitive disorders.
Neuroimaging research suggests brain age could become a powerful biomarker for diagnosing mental disorders, with clear differences in brain age between conditions. A systematic review and meta-analysis included 68 studies examining brain age across DSM5 disorders, and patients with mental disorders consistently showed higher brain age than healthy controls.
Brain age reflects how old the brain appears on neuroimaging compared with chronological age. Interest in brain age has grown because many psychiatric conditions show accelerated ageing, suggesting measurable biological vulnerability, while traditional psychiatric diagnosis relies on symptoms, which often overlap and evolve.
The largest effect was observed in schizophrenia spectrum disorders with Cohen’s d = 3.49, 95% CI 2.62 to 4.37, p < 0.05, followed by neurocognitive disorders with Cohen’s d = 3.27, 95% CI 2.31 to 4.24, p < 0.05, and mood disorders with Cohen’s d = 1.41, 95% CI 0.69 to 2.14, p < 0.05. Neurodevelopmental disorders showed a smaller mean increase of 0.60, and analysis confirmed significant differences with F = 5.13, p = 0.004.
Researchers have linked altered brain age to dysfunction in major neural networks involved in cognition and emotional regulation. These findings indicate that brain age could complement clinical assessment and improve diagnostic confidence, while researchers emphasise that longitudinal studies are essential to confirm reliability and understand how brain age changes with treatment and disease progression.
Standardised imaging protocols and integration into clinical workflows will also be required. If validated, brain age could support prognosis, monitor therapeutic response, and refine classification systems.