ArticleThe Gerontologist2022
Social Networks and Cognitive Function: An Evaluation of Social Bridging and Bonding Mechanisms.
Article in The Gerontologist, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed.
- Associations of quality of social support and accurate beliefs about curability among older adults with advanced cancer.Journal of geriatric oncology · 2024Trial
- Application of an egocentric social network approach to examine changes in social connections following treatment for anxiety and depression: A novel measurement tool for clinical trials research?Social science & medicine (1982) · 2024Trial
- Stability and change in social network size over four decades: an age-period-cohort analysis.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Social Networks and Longitudinal Neuropsychiatric Symptom Trajectories across the Cognitive Continuum.European neurology · 2026Article
- Social network characteristics and cognitive function, decline, and mortality: A joint modeling approach.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
- The social environment and cognitive aging over the life course: laying out critical concepts and research gaps.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Review
- Mid-to-late-life social network size and resilience to neurodegeneration: The Framingham Heart Study.BMC neurology · 2026Article
- A Life Course Perspective on Cognitive Aging: The Interplay between Early and Later Life Stimulating Environments.Journal of health and social behavior · 2026Article
- Social connection and cognitive health: A review of concepts, measures, and research priorities.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Review
- Distinct social network structures and their cognitive and psychological correlates.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Time and the convoy model: social network turnover and mental health in older adulthood.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2026Article
- Social network structure and composition predicting cognitive impairment: racial/ethnic differences among older adults.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2026Article
- Beyond the Block: Social Network Extralocality and Cognitive Function Among U.S. Older Adults.Journal of aging and health · 2026Article
- Is social connection the key to prevention? Educational attainment, incident dementia, and the role of later-life social engagement.Innovation in aging · 2026Article
- Social Network Determinants of Cigarette Forgoing and Quit-Related Conversations in a 15-Day Ecological Momentary Assessment Study in Mexico and the US.Tobacco use insights · 2026Article
- Mediating effect of social frailty on oral frailty and cognitive function in older adults: a cross-sectional study in a rural Chinese community.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Article
- Shared micromobility, perceived accessibility, and social capital.Transportation · 2026Article
- Creating cognitive normative data for rural Indian population.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Article
- Social isolation and cognitive decline in older adults: a longitudinal study across 24 countries.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Neighborhood bonding and bridging social capital, social activity participation, and short-term cognitive variability in later life.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesSocial connectedness has been linked prospectively to cognitive aging, but there is little agreement about the social mechanisms driving this relationship. This study evaluated 9 measures of social connectedness, focusing on 2 forms of social enrichment-access to an expansive and diverse set of loosely connected individuals (i.e., social bridging) and integration in a supportive network of close ties (i.e., social bonding). RESEARCH DESIGN AND
methodsThis study used egocentric network and cognitive data from 311 older adults in the Social Networks in Alzheimer Disease study. Linear regressions were used to estimate the association between social connectedness and global cognitive function, episodic memory, and executive function.
resultsMeasures indicative of social bridging (larger network size, lower density, presence of weak ties, and proportion of non-kin) were consistently associated with better cognitive outcomes, while measures of social bonding (close ties, multiplex support, higher frequency of contact, better relationship quality, and being married) largely produced null effects. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that the protective benefits of social connectedness for cognitive function and memory may operate primarily through a cognitive reserve mechanism that is driven by irregular contact with a larger and more diverse group of peripheral others.
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