Loneliness: Greater Negative Impact on Memory Than Social Isolation?

The AHA! Team — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 08:21:45 +0000

University of Waterloo via News-Medical – About a third of Canadians feel lonely, and a study from the University of Waterloo shows it has a greater negative impact on memory than even social isolation, though both present a significant risk to the aging population. Loneliness is a subjective emotion that people might feel even while engaging in social activities. It is often associated with depression and an increase in stress hormones that may contribute to impaired memory. Waterloo researchers examined four combinations of social isolation and loneliness and their effect on memory in middle-aged and older adults over a six-year period. These combinations include being socially isolated and lonely, being only socially isolated, being only lonely and being neither. “As we expected, people who were both socially isolated and lonely had the greatest decline in memory, which intensified over the six years. But we were surprised to find that loneliness alone had the second-greatest impact on memory, even though so many studies report on the dangers of social isolation without considering loneliness.” Ji Won Kang, lead author on the paper and PhD candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences at Waterloo Those who aren’t lonely but are socially isolated may be stimulating their mental capacity with solo activities, such as reading, playing games and engaging in hobbies that improve memory and stimulate the brain, despite not engaging in social activities. Loneliness alone had the second-greatest impact on memory Kang hopes the findings of this research will highlight the need for community programs, especially for the combined group of older adults who are both socially isolated and lonely, and therefore at the highest risk of memory impairment. “Older adults in the lonely category often have lower incomes than the other groups and may have structural barriers and health conditions preventing them from connecting to their communities,” she said. “A solution could be to implement transportation or home-visit programs-; something to address the societal issues that lead to them being more isolated.” The group who is just lonely is the next priority, requiring a different approach. “We would need to know what is causing their loneliness,” Kang said. “They may be connected socially and have close relationships, but for example, maybe their marriage is falling apart and they would benefit from counselling.” The study was an interdisciplinary project between the School of Public Health Sciences and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at Waterloo. Exploring the differential impacts of social isolation, loneliness, and their combination on the memory of an aging population: A 6-year longitudinal study of the CLSA appears in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Source: University of Waterloo Journal reference: Kang, J. W., et al. (2024). Exploring the Differential Impacts of Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Their Combination on the Memory of Aging Population: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study by the CLSA. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2024.105483. To read the original article click here.

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Cochlear Implant in Deaf Children with Autism Can Improve Language Skills and Social Engagement

AHA Publisher — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 08:00:14 +0000

Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago via Newswise – Restoring hearing through cochlear implantation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can help them understand spoken language and enhance social interactions, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The study reported long-term outcomes of the largest number of children with ASD who received a cochlear implant, with mean follow-up of 10.5 years. Findings were published in the journal Otology & Neurotology. “Our results add to the growing body of evidence that cochlear implantation clearly benefits deaf children with autism spectrum disorder,” said senior author Nancy Young, MD, Medical Director of Audiology and Cochlear Implant Programs at Lurie Children’s and a Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Improved hearing provides access to spoken language that may enhance their cognitive and communication potential, as well as help these children engage more with their families.” The majority (73 percent) of children in the study consistently used their cochlear implant throughout the day, of whom 45 percent developed some understanding of spoken words with hearing alone (no visual cues). Forty five percent also used spoken language to some degree as part of their overall communication. Eighty six percent were reported by parents to have improved social engagement after implantation. Responding to a survey, one parent reported: “Without his implant, he was stuck in his own little world, no sound, no eye contact with others. The implant brought his personality out to us.” According to recent estimates, one in 88 children in the US have ASD, a complex developmental disorder characterized by impaired communication and social interaction. Twenty-five to 30 percent of normal hearing children with ASD do not develop spoken language as a means of communication. Therefore, children with ASD in combination with profound hearing loss have two conditions that may limit development of spoken language. Not surprisingly, the children in this study usually developed understanding and use of spoken language more slowly than implanted children without ASD. Children with ASD have been reported to have a higher prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) than children without ASD. Conversely, children with SNHL have been reported to have a higher rate of ASD than those with normal hearing. Dr. Young noted that “the relationship between these two diagnoses for some of these children may be due to congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), an infection that begins in the developing fetus that often is unrecognized after birth. It may cause hearing loss and is associated with increased incidence of ASD.” Most children in the study were diagnosed with ASD after cochlear implantation. Diagnosis after implantation is likely related to the young age at which most received their implant, and to increased difficulty diagnosing ASD when significant hearing loss is present. “Understanding the range of outcomes in this population is important for counseling parents and educators to ensure that these children receive appropriate support and services,” said Beth Tournis, AuD, an audiologist at Lurie Children’s and co-author of the study. To read the original article click here.

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Loneliness: Greater Negative Impact on Memory Than Social Isolation?

Cochlear Implant in Deaf Children with Autism Can Improve Language Skills and Social Engagement