There is new evidence on how loneliness affects memory in aging

Neuroscientists know this There is a connection between Loneliness and cognitive decline In older people, although the exact magnitude of the association remains difficult to understand. A new longitudinal study provides evidence that a proportion of People who feel lonely They end up with greater memory impairment, although this does not necessarily mean that their brains age faster.

The report, published in the journal Aging and Mental Health, shows that older people with higher levels of loneliness scored lower on tests of immediate and delayed recall. However, the rate at which their memory declined over six years was almost identical to those who did not feel lonely.

“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its gradual decline.” He said Luis Carlos Venegas Sanabria of the Universidad del Rosario College of Medicine and Health Sciences, who led the research. “The study underscores the importance of addressing loneliness as an important factor in the context of cognitive functioning in older adults.”

A six-year study of thousands of single people

The team analyzed data from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), one of the most powerful longitudinal databases for the study of aging. For six years, researchers followed 10,217 adults, aged 65 to 94, from 12 European countries. They rated their level of loneliness and their performance on memory tests.

Results It turned out that age was the most important factor determining the level of memory and the speed of its decline. From age 75 onward, scores began to decline more rapidly. After 85 the decline became more pronounced. Depression and chronic diseases such as diabetes also lowered the primary score. Loneliness, despite its impact on the starting point, did not accelerate the decline in cognitive decline.

The study also found that physical activity was associated with better initial memory scores. People who participated in moderate or vigorous physical activity at least once a month remembered more words on immediate and delayed recall tests. This effect did not change the speed of the decline, but it did raise the baseline level, which acts as a kind of “cognitive buffer.”

Although the study does not explore the causes of the relationship between loneliness and cognition, previous research has suggested plausible mechanisms. Loneliness is often associated with less social interaction, a factor that affects cognitive performance. It is also associated with an increased risk of depression, which directly affects memory tests. In addition, lonely people tend to have more health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, which also affects cognitive function.

By 2050, according to UN projections, one in six people in the world will be over the age of 65. Societies are entering a phase where aging will no longer be the exception, but will become the norm. Dementia, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases that appear with aging, will pose a major challenge to healthcare institutions.