Want to keep your brain sharp?  There’s a new addition to the list.

Everyone knows the to-do list to keep our brains healthy  and working well: Eat right. Sleep enough. Keep exercising. Maintain a healthy weight. Control your blood pressure.

A growing body of research suggests a new addition to the list:  get out and about, enjoy your friends and social connections, and do so regularly.  This, experts say,  will keep your brain from shrinking, preserve your memory and stall cognitive decline.

Want some ideas to get social? Check out our articles on Social Engagement. Find the list here. 

Brain Health and Social Activity

Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, issued an advisory, raising alarms about the impact of loneliness and isolation and highlighting the healing effects of social contact and community. Poor or inadequate connecting leads to a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults, Murthy points out, and increased the risk of premature death by more than 60%.

Poor or inadequate connecting leads to a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults

Social isolation is common, with a 2023 University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging finding that 1 in 3 older adults, ages 50 to 80, reported infrequent social contact, defined as once a week or less with people outside their household, and 9% having that degree of contact once a month or less.

Recent Research Findings on Brain Health and Social Contact

• The frequency of social contact is associated with brain volume, with lower frequency of social contact associated with smaller volumes in parts of the brain associated with memory, vision and other important functions. That was the bottom line of Japanese researchers who evaluated nearly 9,000 adults, age 65 and above, who got brain MRI scans, a health exam, and reported how often they had contact with relatives and friends outside their household. The less contact, the less brain volume.
• In a review of 13 aging studies, social connections (such as being in a relationship, a weekly community group or weekly family or friend interaction) were linked with lower risks of mild cognitive impairment, the early stage of memory and other brain problems. Having regular family or friend interactions, monthly or weekly, and having a confidante were linked with a lower risk of dementia; social engagement and having a confidante were linked with a lower risk of death during the study period.
• Social isolation is one of the 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia, according to a 2020 Lancet report. (This year, 2 more risk factors were added, high cholesterol and vision loss, with experts stating nearly half of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by addressing these 14 risk factors.)

How it works

Social engagement and social interaction engage multiple neurological circuits, says Dr. Tamar D. Gefen, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago, and co-director of the Northwestern University Super Aging Research Program. In her opinion, we need to do more to encourage social contacts among older adults. She pointed to the UK, which has a Minister of Loneliness.

“When we are social, we are learning and listening and engaging,” says Dr. Marc Milstein, a Los Angeles  brain health researcher who wrote The Age-Proof Brain. And that causes new brain cell connections as well as exercises the brain, he says.

How much Social Activity for Brain Health?

The “right” amount of social connection is personal, Gefen says, using her neighbor and her family babysitter as examples. Her neighbor is happy to say hello and go about the day; her babysitter, 73, relishes the chance to care for her young children and also be with others when she’s not on duty.

Reaching out to make new social connections can be anxiety-provoking for those not used to it, Gefen says. Forget the advice about “Do one thing a day that scares you,’’ she says. Instead, try something new to be more social, but not anything that negatively affects your mood. At her Northwestern clinic, social workers meet with people and suggest social activities based on interests, values and cultures.

Engaging in research studies that align with your health goals or conditions might lead to connections with like-minded people, Gefen adds. Volunteering for political campaigns or charities can boost social connections, too.

“Find activities that give you a sense of purpose,” Milstein says. “Purpose is important for brain health You don’t have to have a ton of friends. It’s about just a couple meaningful relationships. It’s the quality of the relationships, not the quantity.”

Want to talk about keeping your brain sharp with like-minded folks? Join the new Brain Health Group on Senior Planet Community!

What about virtual interaction? Researchers had plenty of chances to study that during the height of the pandemic, when social distancing was the norm. This study, done during the pandemic, found that virtual interactions may benefit overall mental health, especially when in-person connections are limited. “Virtual can be great,” Milstein says. “Zooms, online courses, social media, online games are all good, but there is something about in-person that is important for brain health as well. Finding time for in-person interaction is important too.”

“Face-to-face interaction certainly offers more opportunity for multi-sensory engagement,” Gefen says. But when that’s not possible, “an interesting and pleasurable Zoom conversation could suffice.”

YOUR TURN

What group activities do you enjoy?  Have you adopted any lately? Let us know in the comments!

Kathleen Doheny is a Los Angeles-based independent journalist, specializing in health, behavior, fitness and lifestyle stories. Besides writing for Senior Planet, she reports for WebMD, Medscape, MedCentral and other sites.  She is a mom, mother-in-law and proud and happy Mimi who likes to hike, jog and shop.

Photo of Kathy Doheny: Shaun Newton

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