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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Influence of social network characteristics on cognition and functional status with aging | | Author(s) | Ariel Frank Green, George Rebok, Constantine G Lyketsos |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 23, no 9, September 2008 |
| Pages | pp 972-978 |
| Source | http://www.interscience.wiley.com |
| Keywords | Social contacts ; Personal relationships ; Cognitive processes ; Cross sectional surveys ; Longitudinal surveys ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Data from the Baltimore follow-up of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA), a community-based sample, were used to examine the influence of social networks on cognition and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) over a median interval of 10.9 years. 874 participants completed cognitive testing at both third and fourth study waves (1993-1996 and 2003-2004) on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a delayed word recall test. Functional status at both waves was self-reported on the Lawton-Brody IADL scale. Social network characteristics, assessed at the third study wave, included network size, frequency of contact and emotional support. In cross-sectional analyses at wave 3, larger target networks were associated with higher MMSE and better delayed recall scores. The association persisted after adjustment for covariates. More emotional support was associated with better functional status, before and after adjustment. By contrast, social networks were not longitudinally associated with cognitive change, with tow counter-intuitive exceptions: more frequent contact, and more emotional support were associated with worse delayed recall and IADL scores after adjustment. There was no evidence of a longitudinal association between social networks and cognition or IADLs, although a clear cross-sectional association exists. Together, these findings suggest the emergence of social isolation in individuals declining in cognition and functioning, rather than a protective effect of social networks. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-081009208 A |
| Classmark | TOA: DS: DA: 3KB: 3J: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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