Feeling lonely for extended periods of time was associated with more rapid memory decline in those aged over 65.
Researchers discuss the detrimental psychological, physical, and economic impact of loneliness.
Social isolation is linked to alterations in brain structure and cognitive deficits. Additionally, social isolation can increase the risk of developing dementia as a person ages.
Social isolation has been directly linked to structural changes in brain areas associated with memory and cognitive function. Researchers report socially isolated people are 26% more likely to develop dementia later in life.
Hikikomori is a mental health disorder identified as a pathological social withdrawal. Researchers have discovered a number of biomarkers in the blood associated with hikikomori.
Young children who experience social isolation are at risk of being diagnosed with ADHD and face loneliness as adults, a new study reports.
A combination of personality traits and childhood circumstances account for why some older people experience loneliness more than others. Lonely adults over 50 were 1.24 times more likely to have rarely, or never, had comfortable friendships during childhood, and 1.34 times more likely to have had poor relationships with their mothers as children.
Using artificial intelligence technology, researchers have identified both risk and protective factors for depression in middle-aged to older adults. Social isolation, the study found, was the biggest risk factor for depression, followed by mobility difficulties and health issues.
The element of choice in whether we choose to be alone or interact with others plays a key role in personal wellbeing.
Contact-seeking behavior in mice is driven by amylin peptide in the medial preoptic area of the forebrain.
Study reports a three-fold increased risk of developing dementia in older adults with no genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, who experience social isolation and loneliness.
Socially isolated older adults are more likely to have missing teeth and an accelerated rate of tooth loss compared to those with stronger social networks, a new study reports.
