Isolation may be a risk factor for dementia, but technology could help

Two new studies add to the evidence that social isolation is an important risk factor for dementia in community-dwelling older adults, new research has found.

The research also identifies technology as an effective way to intervene.

Collectively, the studies do not establish a direct causal link between dementia and social isolation, defined as the lack of social contact and regular interaction with people. But, according to the researchers, the studies reinforce observations that such isolation increases the risk of dementia and suggest that relatively simple efforts to increase social support for older adults, such as texting and using email , can reduce this risk.

In the United States, it is estimated that one in four people over the age of 65 are socially isolated, according to the National Institute on Aging.

“Social connections important for our cognitive health, and it’s potentially easily modifiable for older adults without the use of drugs,” says Thomas Cudjoe, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and lead author of the two new studies.

The first study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Societyused data collected from a group of 5,022 Medicare beneficiaries for a long-term study known as National Health and Aging Trends, which began in 2011. All participants were 65 or older and were invited to complete an annual two-hour survey – interview with the person to assess cognitive function, health status and general well-being.

At the initial interview, 23% of the 5,022 participants were socially isolated and showed no signs of dementia. However, by the end of this nine-year study, 21% of the total sample of participants had developed dementia. The researchers concluded that the nine-year risk of developing dementia was 27% higher in socially isolated older adults than in older adults who were not socially isolated.

“Socially isolated older people have smaller social networks, to live alone, and have limited participation in social activities,” says Alison Huang, senior research associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “One possible explanation is that having fewer opportunities to socialize with others also decreases cognitive engagement, potentially contributing to an increased risk of dementia.”

Interventions to reduce this risk are possible, according to the results of the second study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Specifically, the researchers found that the use of communication technologies such as the telephone and email reduced the risk of social isolation.

Researchers in the second study used data from participants in the same study on national health and aging trends and found that more than 70% of people aged 65 and older who were not socially isolated on their first date had a working mobile phone and/or computer, and regularly used email or text to initiate and respond to others.

Over the four-year research period for this second study, older adults who had access to such technology consistently showed a 31% lower risk of social isolation than the rest of the cohort.

“Basic communication technology is a great tool to combat social isolation,” says Mfon Umoh, postdoctoral fellow in geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “This study shows that access to and use of simple technologies are important factors that protect older adults from social isolation, which is associated with significant health risks. This is encouraging because it means that simple interventions can help.

Social isolation has received a lot of attention over the past decade, particularly because of the restrictions put in place to Covid-19 pandemic, but more work needs to be done to identify at-risk populations and create tools for providers and caregivers to minimize risk, researchers say. Future research in this area should focus on increased risks based on biological sex, physical limitations, race, and income level.

Funding for the studies came from the Caryl & George Bernstein Project on Human Aging, Johns Hopkins University Center for Innovative Medicine, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute on Aging, Secunda Family Foundation, Patient-Centered Care for Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

The authors have no conflict of interest to report.

Source: Johns Hopkins University