Changes in Social Network Size Are Associated With Cognitive Changes in the Oldest-Old

Frontiers in Psychiatry

Horst Bickel¹  Dagmar Weeg¹  Wolfgang Maier²  Siegfried Weyerer³  Jochen Werle³  Michael Wagner⁴  Luca Kleineidam⁴  Kathrin Heser⁵  Christian Brettschneider⁶  Hans-Helmut König⁶  Marion Eisele⁷  Martin Scherer⁷  Michael Pentzek⁸  Angela Fuchs⁸  Hanna Kaduszkiewicz⁹  Susanne Röhr^1,10  Margrit Löbner^1,10  Steffi G. Riedel-Heller^1,10  Uta Gühne^1,10  Silke Mamone^1,11  Birgitt Wiese^1,11 

[1] 0Department of Psychiatry, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;1Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany;Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany;DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany;Department for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany;Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;Department of Primary Medical Care, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;Institute of General Practice, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany;Institute of General Practice, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany;Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health (ISAP), Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany;Work Group Medical Statistics and IT-Infrastructure, Institute for General Practice, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany;

关键词: social network;    social isolation;    cognitive function;    oldest-old;    lifestyle;    risk factor;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00330

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

ObjectivesSocial isolation is increasing in aging societies and several studies have shown a relation with worse cognition in old age. However, less is known about the association in the oldest-old (85+); the group that is at highest risk for both social isolation and dementia.MethodsAnalyses were based on follow-up 5 to 9 of the longitudinal German study on aging, cognition, and dementia in primary care patients (AgeCoDe) and the study on needs, health service use, costs, and health-related quality of life in a large sample of oldest-old primary care patients (AgeQualiDe), a multi-center population-based prospective cohort study. Measurements included the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), with a score below 12 indicating social isolation, as well as the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) as an indicator of cognitive function.ResultsDementia-free study participants (n = 942) were M = 86.4 (SD = 3.0) years old at observation onset, 68.2% were women. One third (32.3%) of them were socially isolated. Adjusted linear hybrid mixed effects models revealed significantly lower cognitive function in individuals with smaller social networks (β = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3–0.7, p < .001). Moreover, changes in an individual’s social network size were significantly associated with cognitive changes over time (β = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1–0.4, p = .003), indicating worse cognitive function with shrinking social networks.ConclusionSocial isolation is highly prevalent among oldest-old individuals, being a risk factor for decreases in cognitive function. Consequently, it is important to maintain a socially active lifestyle into very old age. Likewise, this calls for effective ways to prevent social isolation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown