Correlations between Dementia and Loneliness.
Int J Mol Sci
; 25(1)2023 Dec 24.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38203442
ABSTRACT
This review describes associations between dementia and loneliness on the neurobiological and epidemiological levels according to the recent body of literature. The aim of this study was to highlight major lines of research in this field. Sociocognitive skills and social interactions present complex interdependencies with dementia which may be explained by two theories. According to the first one, not sufficiently engaging in social or cognitive activities results in brain atrophy. The second one claims that brain neurogenesis and synaptic density are being increased by social connections. The relationship between loneliness and dementia could be mediated by sensory loss, including hearing and visual impairment, as well as depression and psychotic symptoms. Loneliness itself might cause a depletion in sensory and cognitive stimulation which results in a decrease in neural reserve. Certain changes in the structures of the brain caused by loneliness were found in imaging examination. Loneliness appears to be a crucial risk factor for dementia in recent times due to the modern lifestyle and consequences of the outbreak of COVID-19. Additional studies are required to understand more completely the key tenets of this topic and therefore to improve the prevention and treatment of dementia.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental
/
Demência
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article