Can Social Interaction Predict Cognitive Decline?

A study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests social interaction might help doctors predict a person's risk of cognitive decline and possibly dementia, reports Medical News Today . Brigham and Women's Hospital scientists followed 217 older men and women participating in the Harvard Aging Brain Study for three years. An association between social interaction and cognitive decline was not generally observed, but the influence of social activity was notable in individuals who had the highest levels of beta-amyloid in their brains. In this cohort, those with the lowest levels of social interaction exhibited more cognitive decline than those with similar levels of beta-amyloid but more social activity. Moreover, individuals who had lower cognitive abilities at the beginning of the study were more likely to become less socially engaged over the study period. The study's authors hope these insights could eventually help predict persons who are most at risk of cognitive decline.