MSGID: 1:317/3 64af7de8   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Social isolation linked to lower brain volume    
      
     Date:   
         July 12, 2023   
     Source:   
         American Academy of Neurology   
     Summary:   
         Older people who have little social contact with others may be   
         more likely to have loss of overall brain volume, and in areas   
         of the brain affected by dementia, than people with more frequent   
         social contact, according to a new study.   
      
      
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   Older people who have little social contact with others may be more   
   likely to have loss of overall brain volume, and in areas of the brain   
   affected by dementia, than people with more frequent social contact,   
   according to a study published in the July 12, 2023, online issue of   
   Neurology(R), the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.   
      
   The study does not prove that social isolation causes brain shrinkage;   
   it only shows an association.   
      
   "Social isolation is a growing problem for older adults," said study   
   author Toshiharu Ninomiya, MD, PhD, 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 involved 8,896 people with an average age of 73 who did not   
   have dementia. They had MRI brain scans and health exams. To determine   
   social contact, people were asked one question: How often are you   
   in contact with relatives or friends who do not live with you (e.g.,   
   meeting or talking on the phone)? The choices for answering were every   
   day, several times a week, several times a month and seldom.   
      
   The people with the lowest amount of social contact had overall brain   
   volume that was significantly lower than those with the most social   
   contact. The total brain volume, or the sum of white and grey matter,   
   as a percentage of the total intracranial volume, or the volume within   
   the cranium, including the brain, meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid,   
   was 67.3% in the lowest contact group compared to 67.8% in the highest   
   contact group. They also had lower volumes in areas of the brain such as   
   the hippocampus and amygdala that play a role in memory and are affected   
   by dementia.   
      
   The researchers took into account other factors that could affect brain   
   volume, such as age, diabetes, smoking and exercise.   
      
   The socially isolated people also had more small areas of damage in the   
   brain, called white matter lesions, than the people with frequent social   
   contact. The percentage of intracranial volume made up of white matter   
   lesions was 0.30 for the socially isolated group, compared to 0.26 for   
   the most socially connected group.   
      
   The researchers found that symptoms of depression partly explained   
   the relationship between social isolation and brain volumes. However,   
   symptoms of depression accounted for only 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 the dementia that often follows,"   
   Ninomiya said.   
      
   Since the study involved only older Japanese people, a limitation is   
   that the findings may not be generalizable to people of other ethnicities   
   and younger people.   
      
   The study was supported by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and   
   Development and Suntory Holdings Limited.   
      
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   provided by American_Academy_of_Neurology. Note: Content may be edited   
   for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Alexa E Walter, Danielle Sandsmark. The Importance of Social   
      Contact on   
         Brain Atrophy among Older Individuals. Neurology, 2023; 10.1212/   
         WNL.0000000000207720 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207720   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230712165229.htm   
      
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