Dog ownership and healthy brain aging: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Dog ownership is linked to physical activity and social connection, potential mechanisms for cognitive health.
• Research on dog ownership's impact on brain health outcomes, particularly in aging populations, is limited.
• Investigating how dogs support healthy brain aging is crucial for dementia prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot methods for a large-scale investigation into the effects of dog ownership on brain aging in older adults.
• To assess the feasibility of collecting data on physical activity, social connectedness, cognitive function, and brain structure in dog owners and non-owners.
• To identify necessary modifications for a future hypothesis-testing study.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional pilot study with 25 older adults (13 dog owners).
• Assessed physical activity (activPAL, diary), social connectedness (questionnaires), and cognition (NIH Toolbox).
• Collected brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for structural volume and cortical thickness analysis.

Main Results:

• Dog owners reported higher daily steps (8,972 vs. 7,107) and social interaction via dog walking.
• Cognitive scores showed slight differences (Dog owners: 112.2 Fluid Cognition Composite; Non-owners: 116.3).
• Brain structural measures (gray matter volume, cortical thickness) showed minimal differences between groups in this pilot.

Conclusions:

• The study confirmed the feasibility of data collection procedures for investigating dog ownership and brain aging.
• Modifications to recruitment strategies are needed to ensure a more diverse and representative sample for future research.
• This pilot provides a foundation for a larger study to rigorously test the impact of dog ownership on healthy brain aging.