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Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
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Public Health
Olivia Lu1, Alexandra N Trelle2, Christina B Young3
1Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Alzheimer'S & Dementia : the Journal of the Alzheimer'S Association
|December 23, 2025
Summary
Social visits, volunteering, computer use, and crafts are linked to better cognitive function in older adults. These activities may support brain health and cognitive performance without impacting Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Non-pharmacological interventions are crucial for Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention and treatment.
- The optimal "dose" and "type" of social and cognitive activities for cognitive health remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between specific social and cognitive activities and cognitive performance.
- To explore the relationship between these activities and Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- 173 cognitively normal older adults (mean age 69.0 ± 6.4 years) reported frequency and hours of social/cognitive activities.
- Neuropsychological testing assessed executive function, memory, attention, visuospatial skills, and language.
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma biomarkers for AD (Aβ-42/Aβ-40, p-tau181, t-tau) were analyzed in a subset of participants.
Main Results:
- Frequent social visits and volunteering were associated with higher global cognition, executive function, and working memory.
- Extended computer use correlated with significant improvements across multiple cognitive domains, including global cognition and executive function.
- Craft activities showed a positive association with executive function, while senior center and church attendance showed negative associations with certain cognitive measures. No activities were linked to AD biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- Social engagement (visits, volunteering) and cognitively stimulating activities (computer use, crafts) are linked to better cognitive performance in older adults.
- The findings highlight the potential of specific non-pharmacological activities to support cognitive health, independent of AD biomarkers.
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