The surprising effect of loneliness on the brain of older adults
Loneliness is known to greatly impact memory in older adults, but a study now suggests that loneliness does not accelerate mental decline.
It is estimated that there are currently 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, and there is evidence linking social isolation with a higher risk of developing the memory thieving condition.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, socialization helps keep people mentally active, improves the brain’s resilience and coping ability, and reduces the risk of cognitive decline.
But a large European study that followed more than 10,000 people for seven years suggested that loneliness did not accelerate the decline in memory over time.
Participants who reported high levels of loneliness performed worse on memory tests at the beginning of the study period. But lonely people’s ability to recall information decreased at the same rate as participants who did not feel lonely during the study period.
Lead author Dr. from Universidad del Rosario. “The finding that loneliness significantly affected memory but did not affect the rate of memory decline over time was a surprising result,” said Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria.
“This suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline.”
Findings published in the journal Aging and Mental Health It is based on the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) study, which surveyed 10,217 people aged 65 to 94 from 12 countries on the continent, grouped into four geographical regions: central, southern, northern and eastern.
Anyone with a history of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, was excluded from the study, and the researchers also included physical activity, participation in social activities, depression scores and diabetes in the results.
Memory was assessed by how well participants could recall information immediately and after some time. The researchers also asked participants questions to measure their loneliness, such as whether they felt a lack of friendship.
The results showed that southern European countries reported the highest levels of loneliness (12 percent), followed by the eastern (9 percent), central (6 percent) and northern (9 percent) regions. The majority of participants (92 percent) reported either average or low levels of loneliness at the beginning of the study. The group with higher levels (8 percent) were older, mostly female, and had worse self-reported health problems; There was also a higher prevalence of depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Those in the high category had worse memory scores than those with low loneliness at the beginning of the study. But they experienced a rapid decline in memory similar to that of participants in the low and average loneliness categories.
Previous studies have also linked childhood loneliness to an increased risk of cognitive decline. Research published in the journal Journal of the American Medical Association It showed that people who felt lonely or lacked close friendships before the age of 17 were more likely to develop dementia as adults, even if they no longer felt lonely.
“The 2024 Lancet Commission, partly funded by the Alzheimer’s Association, found that 45 per cent of dementia cases worldwide could potentially be reduced by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors at a personal or societal level,” said Dr Richard Oakley, deputy director of research and innovation at the Alzheimer’s Association. Independent.
“These factors include quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, staying physically active and avoiding social isolation, especially later in life.
“This is important as broader research suggests that social contact and social activities may help improve the brain’s ability to cope with illness, stress and improve mood.”
