The Effect of Socialization on Alzheimer’s Disease

Background

Age is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease where beta amyloid plaques accumulate in the brain¹. Elderly individuals especially those in nursing homes were burdened by the social isolation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The purpose of this literature review is to describe the effectiveness of social engagement and how combatting isolation can have a neuroprotective effect in individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Method

We conducted a search in PubMed examining articles from 2010 to 2023 that discussed the effect of socialization on Alzheimer’s disease particularly during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Our search terms were “Alzheimer’s Disease + Socialization”, “Social Isolation + Alzheimer’s Disease”, “Alzheimer’s Disease + COVID‐19”, “COVID‐19 + Social Isolation”, “Social Interventions + Alzheimer’s Disease”. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients ages 60 and older with Alzheimer’s disease, mention of social isolation or engagement, and any relationship between COVID‐19 and Alzheimer’s disease. Exclusion criteria were defined as other dementias, non‐social interventions, and the effects of other viruses on Alzheimer’s disease. After the screening process 30 articles were included along with 6 articles that were suitable to the topic.

Result

Of the 36 total articles: 19 articles focused on an intervention involving socialization; 8 articles explored the effect of social isolation during COVID‐19 on patients with Alzheimer’s disease; 5 articles examined social isolation as a risk factor for dementia; and 4 articles discussed the effect of socialization on Alzheimer’s disease. A few studies reported that having a large social network can improve cognition and mood for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Studies reported that interventions such as volunteering, video calls, group art classes, animal interactions, and others produced positive outcomes in Alzheimer’s patients but not all were statistically significant.

Conclusion

Our review found a consistent association between a socially integrated lifestyle and decreased incidence of early‐onset dementia. Although not all interventions were solely social, the presence of a strong social structure remained at the core of a healthy aging process.

References:

1. Tiwari, S., Atluri, V., Kaushik, A., Yndart, A., & Nair, M. (2019). Alzheimer’s disease: pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapeutics. International journal of nanomedicine, 14, 5541‐5554. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S200490