ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.)2017
Associations between social relationship measures, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and risk of stroke and dementia.
Article in Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.), 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.
- How loneliness and social isolation are linked to cognitive decline among older adults? A systematic review of underlying physiological and psychobehavioral mechanisms.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Pooled it
- Functional social support and cognitive function in middle- and older-aged adults: a systematic review of cross-sectional and cohort studies.Systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Association between loneliness and dementia risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Differential Effects of Physical Exercise, Cognitive Training, and Mindfulness Practice on Serum BDNF Levels in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Intervention Study.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2019Trial
- Mid-to-late-life social network size and resilience to neurodegeneration: The Framingham Heart Study.BMC neurology · 2026Article
- Sex-dependent effects of short- and long-term social isolation on behavior and medial prefrontal DAT in rats.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Investigating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) changes in three main rodent models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a systematic review.Neurotoxicity research · 2026Review
- Brain and cognitive correlates of social status across race/ethnicity and sex/gender.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025Article
- Factors associated with mild cognitive impairment and dementia amongst the oldest old: findings based on the nationally representative "old age in Germany (D80+)" study.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Article
- Late-life social activity and subsequent risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025Article
- Kynurenine Pathway Dysregulation in Parkinson's Disease: Insights for Disease Modulation and Therapy.International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR · 2025Review
- Environmental Enrichment After Primary Glioma Radiation Therapy.Oncology nursing forum · 2024Article
- Review
- The association between levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and comorbid depression in patients with cardiovascular disease: The Framingham Heart Study.Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2024Article
- Early detection of dementia with default-mode network effective connectivity.Nature. Mental health · 2024Article
- The intriguing role of platelets as custodians of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.Research and practice in thrombosis and haemostasis · 2024Article
- Impact of a COVID-19-Related Lockdown on the Experience of Informal Caregiving in Singapore.Gerontology · 2024Article
- From antidepressants and psychotherapy to oxytocin, vagus nerve stimulation, ketamine and psychedelics: how established and novel treatments can improve social functioning in major depression.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Review
- Weak Social Networks in Late Life Predict Incident Alzheimer's Disease: The Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2023Article
- Social isolation and 9-year dementia risk in community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries in the United States.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionMechanisms underlying social determinants of stroke and dementia are unclear and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may contribute as a molecular link.
methodsUsing the Framingham Study, we examined social relationship measures as predictors of higher serum BDNF level and cumulative incidence of stroke and dementia.
resultsAmong 3294 participants, controlling for age and sex, isolation trended with lower BDNF (odds ratio = 0.69 [0.47-1.00]). Participants with more companionship had reduced risk for stroke (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.59 [0.41-0.83]) and dementia (HR = 0.67 [0.49-0.92]). Greater emotional support was associated with higher BDNF (odds ratio = 1.27 [1.04-1.54]), reduced dementia risk (HR = 0.69 [0.51-0.94], and among smokers, reduced stroke risk (HR = 0.23 [0.10-0.57]). Associations persisted after additional adjustments. BDNF partly mediated the total effect between emotional support and dementia risk.
conclusionsAvailability of social support appears to be associated with increased BDNF levels and, in certain subsets, reduce risk of subsequent dementia and stroke, thus warranting study of these pathways to understand their role in neuroprotection.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.