Does the Association of Social Relationships and Cognition Differ in the Oldest Old?

Many studies on the association of social relationships and (age-related) cognitive decline conclude that our social relationships have a protective effect on cognition. Yet, most of them examined the association in middle-aged to young-old adults and limited research is available on the oldest old (80+ years). This rising age group, however, is at the highest risk for cognitive decline and also shows a large risk for social isolation. As social networks change throughout the lifespan, it is conceivable that the association of social relationships and cognition differs among age groups. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the association of multiple aspects of social relationships and cognitive performance in cognitively healthy participant form the NRW80+ study. unknown other