Personality Factors and Social Networks
In addition to the connection with social networks, brain reserve might also be associated with personality factors. Dr. Bennett's studies have suggested that some personality traits, such as how someone reacts to stress, are associated with cognitive function. "Not how much stress you're under, but how you deal with stress, is associated with the loss of episodic memory, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease." Research suggests, for example, that people who worry a lot or have experienced long-term depression or anxiety have twice the risk of cognitive decline.
Loneliness is another factor. It's not just the size of one's social network that is important, but the ease or difficulty one has making social connections. A pattern of unsatisfying relationships correlates with an increased risk of cognitive decline.
Dr. Bennett speculates that a life of stress, depression, and loneliness changes the brain in ways that we don't yet understand. Perhaps such situations create a negative environment in the brain. "This would not directly cause the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, but it may cause some other type of damage that would make Alzheimer's changes more likely to be expressed as memory loss." Dr. Bennett's research also suggests that an extensive social network—not only how many people one knows, but how many people one knows intimately and feels comfortable confiding in—might be protective in its own way. It could be, Bennett says, that "the larger the network, the less likely people are to decline, the less likely they are to experience clinical Alzheimer's disease."
The connections among education, cognitive stimulation, social engagement, and Alzheimer's disease remain unclear. Additional studies will be needed to determine cause-and-effect relationships—to test, for example, whether mental stimulation as an intervention will directly influence the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Without direct evidence, Dr. Hodes explained, "we are not able to conclude with any certainty that pursuing education, keeping your brain active, or developing an extensive social network specifically will prevent Alzheimer's disease." However, he also noted that a body of research—as well as common sense—shows that many of these activities are good for health and aging and their potential benefits for Alzheimer's disease should be active lines of scientific inquiry.
In this vein, cognitive reserve is an important area of AD research. "We know that proper diet and exercise, weight control, lower salt intake, and eating fresh fruits and vegetables can help reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. Similarly, we are trying to determine what people can do in their lives to maintain cognitive health within their genetic constraints," Dr. Bennett told us. "What can we do as young people, as middle-aged people, and even as older people to create brains that would tolerate AD pathology if it developed? As you take your brain into your ninth and tenth decade, it's likely to be assaulted by a variety of insults such as Alzheimer's changes and strokes. You want the most robust, efficient, rapid decision-making, multi-tasking brain you possibly can have, because that may allow you to maintain your cognition, despite all the other things that could happen to it."
Previous: Brain Building
Excerpted from THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT: MOMENTUM IN SCIENCE, published by Public Affairs, www.publicaffairsbooks.com.
In This Section
- Building Cognitive Reserve
- Brain Efficiency
- The Role of Education
- Brain Building
- Personality Factors and Social Networks
- Assessing the Potential Benefits of Exercise and Diet
- Exercise and the Brain
- Diet and the Brain
- Developing New Drug Treatments
- Drugs in Development
- Practical Challenges
Momentum in Science: The Supplementary Series
- Understanding and Attacking Alzheimer's 12 min
- How Far We Have Come in Alzheimer's Research 15 min
- Identifying Mild Cognitive Impairment 20 min
- The Role of Genetics in Alzheimer's 12 min
- Advances in Brain Imaging 11 min
- Looking Into the Future of Alzheimer's 6 min
- The Connection Between Insulin and Alzheimer's 21 min
- Inflammation, the Immune System, and Alzheimer's 29 min
- The Benefit of Diet and Exercise in Alzheimer's 16 min
- Cognitive Reserve: What the Religious Orders Study is Revealing about Alzheimer's 20 min
- Searching for an Alzheimer's Cure: The Story of Flurizan 30 min
- The Pulse of Drug Development 15 min
- The DeMoe Family: Early-Onset Alzheimer's Genetics 25 min
- The Nanney/Felts Family: Late-Onset Alzheimer's Genetics 20 min
- The Quest for Biomarkers 17 min
Video: Inside the Brain: Unraveling the Mystery of Alzheimer's Disease
This 4-minute captioned video shows the progression of Alzheimer's disease in the brain.
Inside the Brain: An Interactive Tour
The Brain Tour explains how the brain works and how Alzheimer's affects it.
Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery
This book explains what AD is, describes the main areas in which researchers are working, and highlights new approaches for helping families and friends care for people with AD.
- About The Scientists
Connect with Alzheimer's Research
Find out how you can participate in clinical trials or studies, find a research center, or get up-to-date information at 1-800-438-4380.
The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline provides reliable information and support to all those who need assistance. Call us toll-free anytime day or night at 1-800-272-3900.
- Create A Tribute
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The Alzheimer's Association message boards and chat rooms are your online communication forum. Share your thoughts and experiences, query your colleagues, and make new friends.
- Rapid advances in our knowledge about AD have led to the development of promising new drugs and treatment strategies. However, before these new strategies can be used in clinical practice, they must be shown to work in people. Advances in prevention and treatment are only possible thanks to volunteers who participate in clinical trials.
- Among those touched by Alzheimer's (excluding self), nearly one-third provide support as a friend or relative, another 3% provide support as a healthcare professional, and the remaining two-thirds provide no support to the person suffering from Alzheimer's. When support is provided, it most often entails emotional support, followed by care-giving support. While small in comparison, more than one person in ten is providing financial support. Read more.