Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Feb 2022)
No Association Between Loneliness, Episodic Memory and Hippocampal Volume Change in Young and Healthy Older Adults: A Longitudinal European Multicenter Study
- Cristina Solé-Padullés,
- Dídac Macià,
- Dídac Macià,
- Micael Andersson,
- Micael Andersson,
- Mikael Stiernstedt,
- Mikael Stiernstedt,
- Sara Pudas,
- Sara Pudas,
- Sandra Düzel,
- Sandra Düzel,
- Enikő Zsoldos,
- Klaus P. Ebmeier,
- Julia Binnewies,
- Christian A. Drevon,
- Christian A. Drevon,
- Andreas M. Brandmaier,
- Andreas M. Brandmaier,
- Athanasia M. Mowinckel,
- Athanasia M. Mowinckel,
- Anders M. Fjell,
- Anders M. Fjell,
- Kathrine Skak Madsen,
- Kathrine Skak Madsen,
- William F. C. Baaré,
- Ulman Lindenberger,
- Ulman Lindenberger,
- Lars Nyberg,
- Lars Nyberg,
- Lars Nyberg,
- Kristine B. Walhovd,
- Kristine B. Walhovd,
- David Bartrés-Faz,
- David Bartrés-Faz
Affiliations
- Cristina Solé-Padullés
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Dídac Macià
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Dídac Macià
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic – University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Micael Andersson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Mikael Stiernstedt
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Mikael Stiernstedt
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Sara Pudas
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Sara Pudas
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Sandra Düzel
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Sandra Düzel
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Enikő Zsoldos
- Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Klaus P. Ebmeier
- Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Julia Binnewies
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Christian A. Drevon
- Vitas Ltd., Oslo, Norway
- Christian A. Drevon
- 0Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Andreas M. Brandmaier
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Andreas M. Brandmaier
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Athanasia M. Mowinckel
- 1Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Athanasia M. Mowinckel
- 2Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Anders M. Fjell
- 1Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Anders M. Fjell
- 2Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Kathrine Skak Madsen
- 3Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Kathrine Skak Madsen
- 4Radiography, Department of Technology, University College Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- William F. C. Baaré
- 3Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Lars Nyberg
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Lars Nyberg
- 5Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Kristine B. Walhovd
- 1Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Kristine B. Walhovd
- 2Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- David Bartrés-Faz
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- David Bartrés-Faz
- 6August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.795764
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 14
Abstract
BackgroundLoneliness is most prevalent during adolescence and late life and has been associated with mental health disorders as well as with cognitive decline during aging. Associations between longitudinal measures of loneliness and verbal episodic memory and brain structure should thus be investigated.MethodsWe sought to determine associations between loneliness and verbal episodic memory as well as loneliness and hippocampal volume trajectories across three longitudinal cohorts within the Lifebrain Consortium, including children, adolescents (N = 69, age range 10–15 at baseline examination) and older adults (N = 1468 over 60). We also explored putative loneliness correlates of cortical thinning across the entire cortical mantle.ResultsLoneliness was associated with worsening of verbal episodic memory in one cohort of older adults. Specifically, reporting medium to high levels of loneliness over time was related to significantly increased memory loss at follow-up examinations. The significance of the loneliness-memory change association was lost when eight participants were excluded after having developed dementia in any of the subsequent follow-up assessments. No significant structural brain correlates of loneliness were found, neither hippocampal volume change nor cortical thinning.ConclusionIn the present longitudinal European multicenter study, the association between loneliness and episodic memory was mainly driven by individuals exhibiting progressive cognitive decline, which reinforces previous findings associating loneliness with cognitive impairment and dementia.
Keywords