Do subjective or objective cognitive measures better predict social network type among older adults?
Adam R Roth1,2, Siyun Peng1, Max E Coleman1
1Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Biodemography and Social Biology
|March 22, 2022
Summary
Clinical cognitive impairment in older adults is linked to smaller, more interconnected social networks. Subjective cognitive decline did not show a similar association, suggesting subconscious social changes rather than perceived decline drives network alterations.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Sociology
Background:
- Extensive research links cognitive function and social networks in older adults.
- Factors driving this relationship remain unclear, prompting investigation into psychosocial influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if psychosocial factors mediate the relationship between cognitive function and social networks in later life.
- To differentiate the impact of subjective cognitive decline versus objective clinical cognitive assessments on social network structure.
Main Methods:
- Utilized subjective cognitive decline measures and clinical cognitive assessments in a sample of older adults.
- Analyzed social network characteristics including size, interconnectivity, and social diversity.
- Compared network structures between cognitively impaired and cognitively normal participants.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between clinical cognitive assessments and social network type.
- No association was observed between subjective cognitive decline and social network characteristics.
- Older adults with clinical cognitive impairment exhibited restricted social networks (smaller, more interconnected, less diverse) compared to cognitively normal individuals.
Conclusions:
- Clinical cognitive impairment, not subjective concerns, is associated with restricted social networks in older adults.
- Findings suggest that neither impaired individuals nor their networks consciously alter ties based on perceived decline.
- The link between cognitive impairment and network structure may reflect protective network effects or subconscious social contraction.
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