Kang Jee Eun, Martire Lynn M, Graham-Engeland Jennifer E, Almeida David E, Sliwinski Martin J
Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Mar 29;25(1):1190. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22313-2.
Loneliness is a worldwide concern with significant health implications that may be a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. In light of the importance of detecting early cognitive changes and risk factors influencing cognitive health, this study examined whether chronic loneliness predicted cognitive changes among young and middle-aged adults.
This study utilizes data from a longitudinal measurement burst study spanning over two years, comprising three waves of data collection. A systematically recruited young to mid-life adult sample (25- 65 years) included 172 racially and economically diverse participants who provided information about loneliness for at least two consecutive waves. Chronic loneliness was defined based on the validated multi-item PROMIS Social Isolation scale. We assessed working memory, processing speed, and spatial memory in a measurement burst design using mobile cognitive assessments. Multilevel growth models were conducted to examine whether chronic loneliness was associated with changes in cognitive performance during the study period of up to two years.
Results revealed that chronic loneliness was not associated with baseline performance of working memory, processing speed, spatial memory or global cognitive performance, but chronic loneliness was associated with differential cognitive trajectories, specifically a lack of retest related improvement. There were no significant changes in cognitive performance for the chronic loneliness group across waves, whereas significant improvements were observed in those who were not chronically lonely.
This study offers insights into the impact of chronic loneliness on cognitive changes in young and middle-aged adults, revealing that chronically lonely individuals did not exhibit the practice-related improvements that are commonly observed in longitudinal studies. Findings suggest the potential significance of identifying and addressing chronic loneliness promptly to prevent potential cognitive consequences of chronic loneliness.
孤独是一个全球性问题，对健康有重大影响，可能是阿尔茨海默病及相关痴呆症的一个重要风险因素。鉴于检测早期认知变化和影响认知健康的风险因素的重要性，本研究探讨了慢性孤独是否能预测中青年成年人的认知变化。
本研究利用了一项为期两年的纵向测量突发研究的数据，该研究包括三轮数据收集。一个系统招募的中青年成年人样本（25至65岁）包括172名种族和经济背景各异的参与者，他们至少连续两轮提供了有关孤独感的信息。慢性孤独是根据经过验证的多项目PROMIS社会隔离量表来定义的。我们在一项测量突发设计中使用移动认知评估来评估工作记忆、处理速度和空间记忆。采用多水平增长模型来检验在长达两年的研究期间，慢性孤独是否与认知表现的变化有关。
结果显示，慢性孤独与工作记忆、处理速度、空间记忆或整体认知表现的基线表现无关，但慢性孤独与不同的认知轨迹有关，特别是缺乏与重测相关的改善。慢性孤独组在各轮之间的认知表现没有显著变化，而在那些没有慢性孤独感的人中则观察到显著改善。
本研究深入探讨了慢性孤独对中青年成年人认知变化的影响，表明长期孤独的个体没有表现出纵向研究中常见的与练习相关的改善。研究结果表明，及时识别和解决慢性孤独问题对于预防慢性孤独可能带来的认知后果具有潜在意义。
