Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.
In a study from UNSW Sydney, scientists provide evidence to support that living with others, community group engagement, and never feeling lonely are linked to slower cognitive decline.
It is widely recognized that poor social connections such as small networks, infrequent interactions, and loneliness are modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline.
However, up until now, research hasn’t examined data beyond North America and Europe.
Existing research has also combined variables indicating good social connections (such as living with others and being married) instead of looking at each one separately.
In the study, researchers examined a range of measures of social connectedness to discover which had the most robust findings in relation to risk reduction of cognitive decline—and dementia.
They looked at a range of measures of social connections, in approximately 40,000 people across 13 international studies.
The team found that sharing a home with one or more people and weekly community group engagement had the most robust results across studies, indicating these factors are fundamental components in the link with less cognitive decline.
They also identified an association between never feeling lonely and a slower rate of cognitive decline.
The researchers did not find a strong association between the degree of social support, having a confidante or relationship satisfaction, and cognitive decline.
They say future research will be important to replicate these findings, and crucially, to determine if interventions at individual or societal levels can improve social connectedness and alleviate loneliness.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Vitamin B supplements could help reduce dementia risk.
For more information on brain health, please see recent studies about Vitamin D deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
The study was conducted by Dr. Suraj Samtani et al and published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
