A study published in the medical journal Neurology suggests that older adults who have limited social contact may have a higher risk of brain atrophy in areas affected by dementia. The study involved 8,896 participants with an average age of 73 who underwent MRI brain scans and health exams. The participants were asked about their frequency of social contact, and those with the least social contact had overall brain volumes that were significantly lower than those with the most social contact. They also had lower volumes in areas of the brain associated with memory and affected by dementia. The study found an association between social isolation and brain volume loss, but it does not prove causation. The researchers adjusted their findings for other factors that could affect brain volume, such as age, diabetes, smoking, and exercise. Socially isolated participants also had more small areas of damage in the brain and symptoms of depression. While this study is a snapshot in time and does not determine that social isolation causes brain atrophy, past studies have suggested that interventions to improve people’s social isolation could prevent brain volume loss and the onset of dementia. The limitation of the study is that it involved only older Japanese people, so the findings may not apply to younger people or other ethnicities. The research was supported by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development and Suntory Holdings Limited.

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