Social ties could preserve memory, slow brain aging

Maintaining a strong social network into retirement might lead to a better memory and brain health, new research in mice suggests (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center photo) COLUMBUS, Ohio – A strong social network could be the key to preserving memory. New research from The Ohio State University found that mice housed in groups had better memories and healthier brains than animals that lived in pairs. The discovery bolsters a body of research in humans and animals that supports the role of social connections in preserving the mind and improving quality of life, said lead researcher Elizabeth Kirby , an assistant professor of behavioral neuroscience and member of the Center for Chronic Brain Injury at Ohio State. Liz Kirby “Our research suggests that merely having a larger social network can positively influence the aging brain,” said Kirby, who is a member of the Neurological Institute at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center. Her research appears in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. “We know that in humans there’s a strong correlation between cognitive health and social connections, but we don’t know if it’s having a group of friends that’s protecting people or if it’s that people with declining brain health withdraw from their human connections,” Kirby said. This study was designed to answer that hard-to-crack question with an animal model. Some mice lived in pairs, which Kirby refers to as the “old-couple model.” Others were housed for three months with six other roommates, a scenario that allows for “pretty complex interactions.” The mice were 15 months to 18 months old during the experiment – a time of significant natural memory decline in the rodent lifespan. “It’s like mouse post-retirement age. If they drove, they’d be forgetting where the keys are or where they parked the car more often,” […]

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