Social Engagement' Bolsters Brain in Older Adults, Study Finds

A study in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences found that older adults who are more socially engaged exhibit healthier gray matter in regions of the brain relevant to dementia, reports United Press International . Participants who noted social activity had higher volumes of gray matter in regions governing language, attention, concentration, decision-making, and information processing. The authors investigated the level of social engagement in 293 older adults, average age 83. They were scored on a "social engagement index" based on marital status, daily activities, time spent with friends and family and in the community, and volunteerism. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging revealed that those who scored higher on the social engagement index had more gray matter in the relevant areas of the brain. This indicated that these regions could better process information, and do it faster as well. "I would advise my patients to actively participate in various social activities that give them a social identity within their social network, at least once a week, to keep their brain cells healthy," said Cynthia Felix at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. "A balanced and structured planning of social activities is very doable even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, just as one plans for a healthy diet or physical activity."