Price of working from home may be increased risk of dementia

‘If you work alone at home your use of language and other cognitive processes will be diminished’

SOCIAL isolation may shrink the brain and increase the risk of dementia, with fears that working from home could exacerbate the problem.

A major study by British and Chinese researchers suggests that the brain withers without stimulation from friends, family and co-workers, leading to neurodegeneration.

The research was carried out before the pandemic, but experts believe the effect may have been heightened by social distancing, quarantine and isolation, as well as home-working.

“If you live and work alone at home, you may not be regularly engaging in social discussion and, therefore, your use of language and other cognitive processes will be diminished,” said Prof Barbara Sahakian, of the University of Cambridge’s department of psychiatry.

“Social engagement is important for our brains, cognition and well-being,” she said. “This is important at all ages, but especially in older age as social isolation increases the risk of dementia.”

Researchers followed 462,619 people in the UK, starting with an average age of 57, for 12 years and found 1.55 per cent of those who were socially isolated developed dementia compared with 1.03 per cent of those with healthy social lives.

After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, alcohol intake, smoking and depression, the socially isolated were 26 per cent more likely to get dementia.

People were asked whether they lived with others; whether they saw their friends or family at least once a month; and whether they took part in activities such as clubs, meetings or volunteer work at least once a week.

Those who answered “no” to at least two questions were deemed socially isolated.

The study also found loneliness in general was a factor in people developing dementia, but this association was not considered significant after adjusting for depression.

The researchers said the findings were important for future pandemic planning to avoid people being alone for long periods.

Prof Jianfeng Feng, from the University of Warwick, said: “In the context of the pandemic, social isolation, and the state of being cut off from social networks, has intensified. During any future pandemic lockdowns, it is important that individuals, especially older adults, do not experience social isolation.”

The research was published in the journal Neurology.