Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

9/11 first responders’ brains aging faster than their bodies, research shows

MRI scans of 99 responders found chronic PTSD was linked to brain ages about 3 years older than actual age, researchers said.

  • Florida International University researcher Dr. Roberto Lucchini found that 9/11 first responders with chronic PTSD have brains appearing about three years older than their actual age, based on MRI scans of 99 World Trade Center responders.
  • Lucchini noted that responders faced intensive psychological trauma and toxic chemicals simultaneously, with the two factors interacting to create stronger health effects than either alone.
  • According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 96,000 people have been diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions related to 9/11; more than 150,000 are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program.
  • VCF Special Master Allison Turkel reported last week that the Victims Compensation Fund awarded more than $1.8 billion in 2025 alone, with over 112,000 claims received since reopening in 2011.
  • Understanding how physical exposures and psychological trauma interact over time helps researchers better anticipate long-term consequences of future disasters; Lucchini suggested these findings should be considered for first responders worldwide.
Insights by Ground AI

33 Articles

Daily JournalDaily Journal
+28 Reposted by 28 other sources
Center

9/11 first responders’ brains aging faster than their bodies, research shows

(The Center Square) - Twenty-five years after 9/11, health effects for first responders and others exposed to toxins at ground zero are still piling up.

·Cherokee County, United States
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 58% of the sources are Center
58% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

npr broke the news in Washington, United States on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal