Browsing by Subject "Social connectedness"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Associations Between Social Network Characteristics and Brain Structure Among Older Adults
    (Wiley, 2024) Manchella, Mohit K.; Logan, Paige E.; Perry, Brea L.; Peng, Siyun; Risacher, Shannon L.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Apostolova, Liana G.; Neurology, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Social connectedness is associated with slower cognitive decline among older adults. Recent research suggests that distinct aspects of social networks may have differential effects on cognitive resilience, but few studies analyze brain structure. Methods: This study includes 117 cognitively impaired and 59 unimpaired older adults. The effects of social network characteristics (bridging/bonding) on brain regions of interests were analyzed using linear regressions and voxel-wise multiple linear regressions of gray matter density. Results: Increased social bridging was associated with greater bilateral amygdala volume and insular thickness, and left frontal lobe thickness, putamen, and thalamic volumes. Increased social bonding was associated with greater bilateral medial orbitofrontal and caudal anterior cingulate thickness, as well as right frontal lobe thickness, putamen, and amygdala volumes. Discussion: The associations between social connectedness and brain structure vary depending on the types of social enrichment accessible through social networks, suggesting that psychosocial interventions could mitigate neurodegeneration. Highlights: Distinct forms of social capital are uniquely linked to gray matter density (GMD). Bridging is associated with preserved GMD in limbic system structures. Bonding is associated with preserved GMD in frontal lobe regions. Bridging is associated with increased brain reserve in sensory processing regions. Bonding is associated with increased brain reserve in regions of stress modulation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Neurological Correlates of Social Bonding and Bridging
    (Oxford University Press, 2022-12-20) Manchella, Mohit; Logan, Paige; Perry, Brea; Peng, Siyun; Hamilton, Lucas; Risacher, Shannon; Saykin, Andrew; Apostolova, Liana; Neurology, School of Medicine
    Social connectedness has been linked to decreased rates of cognitive decline in later life. However, recent work suggests that particular social network characteristics (i.e., bonding and bridging) may buffer against age-related degeneration. The present study analyzes social network and structural MRI data of 176 older adults from the Social Networks and Alzheimer’s Disease (SNAD) study. Results indicate that increased social bridging is associated with greater grey matter (GM) volume in several limbic structures. Increased social bonding is associated with greater GM volumes in several cerebral cortex structures as well as greater volumes in some components of the limbic system. Most notably, the effects of bridging are primarily lateralized in the left hemisphere while the effects of bonding are observed mostly in the right hemisphere. These results suggest that the neurocognitive benefits of social connectedness depend on the preponderance of bridging and/or bonding ties in older adults’ social networks.