Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38946708›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2024

Analysis of changes in social isolation, loneliness, or both, and subsequent cognitive function among older adults: Findings from a nationwide cohort study.

Qing-Mei Huang, Pei-Dong Zhang, Dong Shen, Jian Gao, Zhi-Hao Li, Yue-Bin Lv, Xiao-Ming Shi, Chen Mao

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed.

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  5. Loneliness Subtypes and Their Association With Prevalent and Incident Dementia.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026
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  13. A University's Role in Developing a Regional Network of Dementia Friendly Communities.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Qing-Mei HuangDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Pei-Dong ZhangDepartment of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Diseases, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Dong ShenDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Jian GaoDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Zhi-Hao LiDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Yue-Bin LvChina CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Xiao-Ming ShiChina CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Chen MaoDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-6537-6215

Funding

Construction of High-level University of Guangdong G623330580,G621331128Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges Pearl River Scholar Funded Scheme 2019National Natural Science Foundation of China 82173588
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe study aimed to investigate the associations of changes in social isolation, loneliness, or both, with cognitive function.

methodsData were from 7299 older adults in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. We defined four change patterns (no, incident, transient, and persistent) for social isolation and loneliness, and created nine-category variable to represent the joint changes. Tobit regression models and Cox models were performed.

resultsIncident, transient, and persistent social isolation or loneliness may accelerate cognitive decline (p < 0.05). Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation were associated with higher cognitive impairment risk, while only persistent loneliness was associated with higher cognitive impairment risk (p < 0.001). Notably, short-term or persistent social isolation was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and incident cognitive impairment, regardless of different loneliness change status (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: Short-term or persistent social isolation and persistent loneliness may be a salient risk factor for cognitive decline and cognitive impairment. HIGHLIGHTS: Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation were associated with accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk. Persistent loneliness was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk. Short-term or persistent social isolation with concurrent different loneliness change status accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionLonelinessSocial IsolationAgedAged, 80 and overChinaCognitionCohort StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleRisk Factorschange in lonelinesschange in social isolationcognitive declinecognitive impairmentcohort study

Identifiers

PMID38946708
PMCPMC11350036

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Registered trials

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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.