Nurture Your Relationships

Some studies have shown that individuals with higher levels of social interaction were less likely to develop dementia; people who actively participate in social activities were less likely to progress from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to a dementia diagnosis. Examples of social activities range from going to a place of worship; volunteering; spending time with family and friends; visiting restaurants; attending family celebrations; and attending organizational activities.

Additionally, research has shown that having a large number of friends is not the only contributing factor to reduce the risk of dementia. Rather, it’s the quality, satisfaction, support, and reciprocity of the relationships that are the important factors in reducing the risk.

Further studies have shown that people who engaged in highly interactive discussion groups not only improved their cognitive functioning, but also their brain volumes, according to MRIs. A larger brain volume has been correlated with a decreased risk of dementia.

While we can’t conclude that social interaction will definitely prevent a cognitive decline in people, it does appear to significantly reduce the changes of that progression.