Social Activity and Brain Health

Getting together with friends and family for the holidays? Good news! Being social can have a positive impact on brain health.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health arrived at their findings using data gathered from the Health and Retirement Study: a large, nationally representative population of American adults ages 50 and older. Participants took memory tests at two-year intervals during the study period. Testers read a list of 10 common nouns to survey respondents, who were then asked to recall as many words as possible immediately and again after a five-minute delay. The researchers also measured social integration based on marital status, volunteer activities, and contact with parents, children and neighbors. The researchers controlled for variables like age, gender, ethnicity, and health status.

In another recent study conducted by researchers at Kaiser-Permanente, also published The American Journal of Public Health, researchers spent five years charting the social lives and mental performance of 2,249 older women.The women with active social lives – characterized by a strong network of people with whom they regularly interacted – were half as likely to suffer from dementia at the close of the study than those who had weak networks.

So if all the hassles of traveling to visit family and friends seem to be adding up,  just remember: those social relationships can be good for your brain!