As we grow older, keeping our brains healthy becomes more and more important. Many studies have shown that staying socially connected is linked to better health.
Now, new research from McGill University and Université Laval takes that idea further by exploring how different types of social environments relate to brain health in aging adults.
The study, published in the journal Aging & Mental Health, looked at data from nearly 30,000 Canadians between the ages of 45 and 84 who took part in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The goal was to find out if certain patterns of social connection were related to how well people performed on memory and thinking tests.
The researchers built three categories, or “profiles,” based on 24 social factors like how big a person’s social circle is, whether they feel supported, how isolated they feel, and how much they trust their community. These categories were called weaker, intermediate, and richer social environments.
To measure brain function, the researchers focused on three types of thinking: executive function (which includes skills like planning and decision-making), episodic memory (remembering past events), and prospective memory (remembering to do things in the future). These were tested through a series of assessments given to the CLSA participants.
The results showed that people with more social connections tended to score better on all three types of cognitive tests. In other words, people in the intermediate and richer social groups generally had stronger thinking and memory skills than those in the weaker group.
While the differences weren’t huge, they were still noticeable—and stronger in people age 65 and older.
Daiva Nielsen, an Associate Professor at McGill and one of the study’s lead authors, pointed out that these findings support the idea that social environments are important for cognitive health, especially as people get older.
She also said that although the link between social connection and brain function was relatively small, it fits with earlier research that found similar results.
It’s important to note that the study does not prove that strong social connections directly improve brain health. It’s also possible that people with better cognitive skills are more likely to stay socially engaged. Still, the link between the two is strong enough to encourage more attention on the role of social life in healthy aging.
More and more experts are recognizing that social connection is a key part of public health. Studies have shown that feeling lonely or disconnected can be as harmful as smoking or being physically inactive.
That’s why it’s important to share this information with the public—so people know that building strong, meaningful connections with others can be just as important as eating well or staying active.
The research team included experts from a wide range of fields, such as human behavior, nutrition, marketing, and public health. They plan to continue studying how changes in a person’s social environment might affect other aspects of health, including diet and risk of chronic diseases.
This kind of work highlights the value of bringing together people from different academic backgrounds. By combining their knowledge, they can look at complex problems from multiple angles and discover new insights that might be missed by working in one field alone.
The take-home message? Keeping in touch with friends, participating in your community, and feeling supported by others may do more than just lift your mood—it might also help protect your brain as you age.
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