The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne, aimed to understand how cognitive decline affects the social interactions of older adults. They used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including questionnaires and interviews. The study revealed that individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia experience difficulties in navigating social interactions, which can be attributed to a range of factors.
* **Age group:** The study focuses on individuals aged 18-25. * **Understudied:** This age group is relatively understudied in social cognition research. * **Traditional research methods:** Traditional research methods often exclude this age group. * **Focus:** The study aims to understand how this age group processes social information.
These measures were used to assess the participants’ ability to understand and respond to emotional cues in others. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between social cognition and the experience of loneliness. Loneliness, as defined by the UCLA Loneliness Scale, was measured to understand the impact of social cognition on the experience of loneliness. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data.
* Researchers found that people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have difficulty understanding what others are thinking and feeling. * This difficulty is linked to a decline in the brain’s ability to process social information. * The study suggests that MCI may be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.
* Dr. Chander emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between social skills and aging. * Social skills are crucial for cognitive health and brain health. * Early detection of cognitive decline is vital for effective intervention and prevention strategies.
“Future work should identify if there are specific features of social cognitive subdomains that are more sensitive to earlier neurocognitive changes,” says Professor Sachdev. “Developing interventions to prevent or reduce the impact of these deficits in social interactions is important to help people with cognitive problems to continue to engage in society, and to reduce the burden on carers of people with dementia.” Professor Julie Henry, Director of The Queensland Multidisciplinary Initiative for Neurocognitive Difficulties, and a co-author on the paper, further noted, “Because social cognitive skills are essential for strong social relationships, understanding when and why these skills break down will ultimately help us find new ways toreduce vulnerability to social isolation.”
Funding: NHMRC grants: Program Grant (350833), Capacity Building Grant (568940). ARC grants: Discovery Project Grant (DP170101239), Future Fellowship (FT170100096) specific to Julie Henry; UNSW funding: Scientia PhD scholarship specific to Dr Russell Chander.