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The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 60:P320-P330 (2005)
© 2005 The Gerontological Society of America

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Trajectories of Cognitive Decline and Social Relations

François Béland1,, Maria-Victoria Zunzunegui1,2, Beatriz Alvarado1,2, Angel Otero3 and Teodoro del Ser4

1 Research Group on Integrated Services for Older Persons (SOLIDAGE), Université de Montréal, Canada.
2 Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Canada.
3 Department of preventive medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
4 Hospital Severo Ochoa, Leganés, Madrid, Spain.

Address correspondence to François Béland, GRIS and Département d'administration de la santé, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, H3C 3J7, Québec, Canada. E-mail: francois.beland{at}umontreal.ca

We assessed conjoint trajectories of cognitive decline and social relations over 7 years on a representative sample of community-dwelling elderly persons. We analyzed data using repeated measurement models. Social integration, family ties, and engagement with family were associated with cognitive function at advanced ages, controlling for education and introducing depressive symptoms, functional limitations, and chronic conditions as intervening variables. Association of social integration, through participation in community activities, with change in cognitive decline was more significant at advanced ages. Having friends was significantly associated with change in cognitive function in women only. Our findings have important implications for clinical medicine and public health because associations of social relations with cognitive function suggests that they may help to maintain cognitive function in old age.




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Copyright © 2005 by The Gerontological Society of America.