Socializing helps elderly cognition

PASADENA, Calif., June 9 (UPI) -- Socializing with people may not only lift the spirits of elderly women, it can improve cognition and may help prevent dementia, U.S. researchers say.

Lead study author Valerie Crooks of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group studied women at least 78 years old during a five-year period who showed no signs of dementia when the study began.

The women were asked about the number of friends and family members who kept in regular contact, and of these, how many could be confided in or relied on for help.

Of the 456 women with low "social network" scores, 18 percent had developed dementia, but of the 1,793 women with stronger social networks, 10 percent had developed dementia.

"By starting with people who are cognitively intact and following them over time, you can begin to make a legitimate link between social networks and dementia," Crooks said in a statement.

The findings indicate that it's important to think about ways to try to reduce the amount of isolation people have -- even those with families, Crooks said.

The study is published in July issue of The American Journal of Public Health.