Social Isolation Could Shrink Your Brain

A recent study shows an association between social isolation and decreased brain volume in older Japanese people.

Highlights:

A study of older Japanese adults suggests that social isolation could be associated with brain shrinkage and dementia
The researchers emphasize that the study does not have proof that social isolation causes brain atrophy; it only shows an association between the two
Symptoms of depression can partially explain the association, however, further research is required as the study was done only on older Japanese people

Man is a social animal and social contact has a physical and mental impact on an individual. A recent study has shown that older people who have limited social interaction with others may be more prone to decreasing total brain volume and dementia-affected parts of the brain than people who have more frequent social contact.

The study was published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology ().

The study does not establish that social isolation causes brain atrophy; rather, it suggests an association.

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‘Can social isolation shrink your brain? A recent study has established an association between the two but not a causal relationship. #atrophy #loneliness’

Frequent Social Contact May Help Older Adults Prevent Brain Shrinkage and Dementia

“Social isolation is a growing problem for older adults,” said study author Toshiharu Ninomiya, MD, Ph.D., of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan.

“These results suggest that providing support for people to help them start and maintain their connections to others may be beneficial for preventing brain atrophy and the development of dementia.”

The study included 8,896 patients without dementia, with an average age of 73. They underwent MRI brain scans as well as physical examinations. People were asked one question to determine social contact: "How often do you contact family or friends who do not reside with you, like meeting or talking on the phone? Every day, several times a week, several times a month, and rarely were the options for response.

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Low Social Contact is Associated with Lower Brain Volume

People who had the least amount of social contact had significantly smaller overall brain volume than those who had the most social contact. The total brain volume, or the sum of white and gray matter, was 67.3% in the lowest contact group compared to 67.8% in the highest contact group. They also exhibited reduced volumes in parts of the brain that play a role in memory and are impacted by dementia, such as the hippocampus and amygdala.

Other factors that could alter brain volume, such as age, diabetes, smoking, and exercise, were considered by the researchers.

People who were socially isolated also exhibited more minor areas of brain damage termed white matter lesions than people who had frequent social contact. The percentage of cerebral volume occupied by white matter lesions in the socially isolated group was 0.30, compared to 0.26 in the most socially connected group.

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Depression Symptoms Could be a Possible Link Between Social Isolation and Brain Volume

Depression symptoms, the researchers discovered, explained a portion of the relationship between social isolation and brain volume. Depression symptoms, on the other hand, accounted for just 15% to 29% of the association.

“While this study is a snapshot in time and does not determine that social isolation causes brain atrophy, some studies have shown that exposing older people to socially stimulating groups stopped or even reversed declines in brain volume and improved thinking and memory skills, so it’s possible that interventions to improve people’s social isolation could prevent brain volume loss and dementia that often follows,” Ninomiya said.

Because the study exclusively included older Japanese people, the findings may not be generalizable to people of other ethnicities or younger people.

Reference:

The Importance of Social Contact on Brain Atrophy among Older Individuals - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37438130/)

Source-Medindia

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