2024 Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity (AARF-D)

Social isolation and dementia risk: cross-national and temporal comparison

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect social isolation and dementia risk among older adults?

Ruijia Chen, ScD
Trustees of Boston University
Lexington, MA - United States

Background

Research suggests that having a strong social support system, or social network, may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline in aging. Individuals who experience social isolation can experience accelerated loss in memory, verbal skills, and other aspects of cognitive functioning, and may have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Additionally, recent studies indicate that social isolation may also be associated with the accumulation of tau tangle and amyloid plaques, two of the hallmark brain changes observed in Alzheimer’s.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on social isolation in older adults due to social distancing and quarantine efforts, as well as fear of contracting the respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19. However, it is unknown whether social isolation linking to the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on Alzheimer’s risk in older adults.

Research Plan

For this study, Dr. Ruijia Chen and colleagues aim to evaluate the association between social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other dementias. To do this, they will leverage data from multiple large-scale surveys that collected demographic, social, and health data on older adults across the United States, Europe, China, Africa, and Mexico. The researchers will compare the prevalence of new Alzheimer’s diagnoses before (pre-2020) and after (post-2020) the pandemic. They will then examine whether there are differences in Alzheimer’s risk between individuals with a higher degree of social isolation and those with a strong support system. The team will also assess whether an increased risk of Alzheimer’s due to social isolation differs across countries.

Impact

Results of this study could improve our understanding of the long-term impact that social isolation that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic may have on Alzheimer’s risk. These findings could lay the foundation for the development of interventions focused on increasing social engagement in those at risk for developing the disease.