Social support correlates with greater cognitive resilience

Social support in the form of listening is linked to improved cognitive resilience, according to findings published in JAMA Neurology.

Previous studies have explored the ways supportive social networks can reduce Alzheimer disease and related disorder (ADRD) risk by improving cognitive resilience, but there are few studies that specify what social support mechanisms are most effective.

“We focused on total cerebral volume in analyses because (1) neural networks across many cortical and subcortical brain regions support global cognition, (2) proposed preclinical ADRD MRI markers restricted to only a single or subset of regions (similar to neuropsychological markers restricted to only a subset of cognitive domains) might be less sensitive to the broad range of neuropathological mechanisms underlying cognitive decline in a community-based sample and (3) use of total cerebral volume would better represent this heterogeneity in ADRD neuropathogenesis and be informative in generating hypotheses for future studies,” Joel Salinas, MD, MBA, MSc, neurologist at NYU School of Medicine and NYU Langone, and colleagues wrote.

In a retrospective cross-sectional analysis, Salinas and colleagues observed data from 2,171 Framingham Study participants without dementia, stroke or other neurological conditions who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing at the same visit (original cohort n = 164, offspring cohort n = 2,007; mean age, 63 years; 54% female).

The Framingham Study was a large, population-based, longitudinal cohort conducted from 1997 to 2001. Salinas and colleagues conducted their analysis from May 22, 2017, to June 1, 2021.

The primary outcome of this study was a global measure of cognitive function, which researchers determined using a global cognitive score developed on a data sample from offspring examination 7, with “principal component analysis forcing a single component solution.” Researchers also used the association of brain structure and cognition to evaluate cognitive resilience.

Using the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (SNI), researchers evaluated social supports such as listening, advice, love-affection, emotional support and sufficient support in participants.

Results showed that higher listening support correlated with greater cognitive resilience (P < .001) compared with low listening support (P < .002). Results for evaluation of the other social supports were not significant.

Study limitations included a predominantly white cohort and self-reported assessments rather than objective assessments.

Salinas and colleagues concluded, “Whether efforts to provide greater access to supportive listeners might delay clinical onset of ADRD remains unknown; however, the results of this study suggest that, when considering supportive psychosocial interventions and other strategies aimed at reducing ADRD risk and promoting neurocognitive health, the precise targeting of specific forms of social support, such as supportive listening, may be warranted.”