Influence of social network characteristics on cognition and functional status with aging

Abstract

Objective To determine whether more frequent engagement in larger social networks, and more emotional support protect against cognitive and functional decline with aging. Methods We examined the influence of social networks on cognition and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) over a median interval of 10.9 years. Data were from the Baltimore follow-up of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, a community-based sample of adults in eastern Baltimore. 874 participants completed cognitive testing at both the third and fourth study waves (1993–1996 and 2003–2004) on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a delayed word recall task. Functional status at both waves was self-reported on the Lawton-Brody IADL scale. Social network characteristics, assessed at the third study wave, included network size, frequency of contact, and emotional support. Results In cross-sectional analyses at wave 3, larger networks were associated with higher MMSE and better delayed recall scores. This association persisted after adjustment for covariates. More emotional support was associated with better functional status, before and after adjustment. By contrast, social networks were not longitudinally associated with cognitive change, with two counter-intuitive exceptions: more frequent contact and more emotional support were associated with worse delayed recall and IADL scores after adjustment. Conclusions There was no evidence of a longitudinal association between social networks and cognition or IADLs, although a clear cross-sectional association exists. Together, these findings suggest the emergence of social isolation in individuals declining in cognition and functioning, rather than a protective effect of social networks.

Cognitive function and its associations in older adults from Amazonas, Brazil

“…Thus, there seems to be a consensus in the literature about the existence of an inverse relationship between depression and cognitive performance 11,12 . Second of all, the results of the present study corroborate the evidence that better cognitive function is associated with better nutritional status 10 , a higher level of physical activity 9 , a better self-perception of health-related quality of life 3 , a higher level of social satisfaction 29,12 and a higher socioeconomic level 30,13 . Evidence of cognitive decline is associated with very sensitive areas such as memory, executive function, language, gnosis/perception and visual-spatial function, which determine independence, quality of life and the strength of relationships between multiple variables taken into consideration in the present study.…”

Social Function and Cognitive Status: Results from a US Nationally Representative Survey of Older Adults

“…The mean number of comorbidities was 2.7 (SD = 2.0). The mean estimated MoCA score was 22.6 (SD = 4.4); using community cutoffs, 26 % screened as at risk for MCI (18)(19)(20)(21)(22) and 15 % screened as at risk for dementia (< 18). Bivariate associations between cognition and social relationships are shown in Table 2.…”

“…6 This is likely a bidirectional relationship, where cognitive decline can lead to altered social relationships. [20][21][22] However, there is less information on the relationship of social function with earlier stages of cognitive decline such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in community-based samples. Cognitive assessments have relied on dementia diagnoses or have used screening tools, such as the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), 21,23,24 or the MiniMental Status Exam (MMSE), 8,10,25 which are relatively insensitive to early impairment.…”

Work and Well-Being of Informal Caregivers in Europe

“…The empirical evidence is still inconclusive and more research is needed. 6 Positive results on cognitive ability are generally found for social participation and volunteering (Glei et al, 2005;Green et al, 2008;Engelhardt et al, 2010;Dobrescu and Christelis, 2012). Though caregiving is sometimes included as one possible volunteering activity, caregiving differs substantially from participating in a political, cultural or religious organization or club (Hsu, 2007).…”