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Social isolation is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention suggests that addressing social isolation could reduce incident dementia by 4%, which is higher than both 2% and 1% estimated reductions for reducing physical inactivity and diabetes. Developing ways to reduce social isolation could, therefore, have a significant public health impact.
For the study, researchers recruited 186 socially isolated individuals aged 75 years and older and randomized them into either an intervention or control group. Participants had either normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment.
The intervention group partook in 30-minute conversations four times per week with trained interviewers via webcam for an initial six months, and then twice per week for an additional six months.
The control group did not participate in similar conversations. However, both the intervention and control groups received 10-minute telephone check-ins each week.
After the first six months of the intervention, the researchers found that the intervention group scored higher in cognitive tests than the control group. Intervention group participants with normal cognition also had scores indicative of higher language-based executive function.
After the latter six months of the trial, the researchers found that intervention group participants with mild cognitive impairment had test scores indicating better memory-related brain function than the control group.
The researchers further found from brain imaging tests that the intervention group had increased connectivity within the dorsal attention network- an area key for the maintenance of visuospatial attention. They noted, however, that their sample size was limited.
Lastly, both intervention and control groups experienced similar improvements in emotional well-being in the domain of social satisfaction. This may suggest that short weekly phone calls may be sufficient to improve emotional wellbeing, whereas improving cognitive function requires more regular conversational engagement.
As some trial participants wanted to continue having conversations, the researchers established a nonprofit organization called the I-CONNECT Foundation. The foundation offers social interaction to older individuals free of charge using the same materials used in the trial.
“Our next goal is to extend these activities to reach more isolated individuals in need, as well as to delve into the biological mechanisms underlying the impact of social interactions on our brain functions,” said lead author Hiroko H. Dodge, Ph.D., Director of Research Analytics at the Interdisciplinary Brain Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, in a press release.
“Providing frequent stimulating conversational interactions via the internet could be an effective home-based dementia risk-reduction strategy against social isolation and cognitive decline,” she added.
“We plan to extend this therapy to geriatric outpatient populations, for which we are currently fundraising, and also examine its effectiveness for mild to moderate depressive symptoms,” she continued.
The researchers are also exploring the possibility of using AI chatbots to stimulate cognitive function in a cost-effective manner. While Dr. Dodge recognizes the importance of human contact for emotional well-being, she noted that chatbots might work as effectively as humans for cognitive stimulation.
Sources: Neuroscience News, The Gerontologist
