Study suggests having a good listener improves cognition, decrease brain ageing

The latest findings by a team of researchers suggest that supportive social interactions during adulthood improve cognition, decrease brain ageing and neutralise neuropathological changes such as those present in Alzheimer's disease. Recently, a study paper published in JAMA Network Open says that having someone available to listen when you need to talk is directly associated with greater cognitive resilience and the better performance of the brain. The study reveals that having social support/listeners prevents brain-related disease, which many neurologists believe can only be done by engaging in mental exercise, workouts, and positive social interactions.

Lead researchers Joel Salinas, MD, Lulu P., and David J. Levidow claimed that listening improves a person's brain health. The researchers, in a statement, said, "We think of cognitive resilience as a buffer to the effects of brain aging and disease. They further said this study adds to growing evidence that people can take steps, either for themselves or for the people they care about most, to increase the odds they'll slow down cognitive aging or prevent the development of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease--something that is all the more important given that we still don't have a cure for the disease. "

According to media reports, around 5 million people in America live with Alzheimer's disease. Meaning, people above the age of 65 face problems with their memory, language, decision-making, and the ability to live independently. One of the study's lead researchers, Joel Salinas, said that although this disease affects the older generation, the study shows that people below 65 would benefit from taking stock of their social support. It was observed that all those people between the age group of 40 to 50 with low listenership had a cognitive age that was four years older than those who had a good number of listeners around them.

"These four years can be incredibly precious. Too often, we think about how to protect our brain health when we're much older, after we've already lost a lot of time decades ago to building and sustaining brain-healthy habits, "says Salinas. But today, right now, you can ask yourself if you truly have someone available to listen to you in a supportive way, and ask your loved ones the same. Taking that simple action sets the process in motion for you to ultimately have better odds of long-term brain health and the best quality of life you can have". Salinas said, loneliness is one of the many symptoms of depression and has caused other illnesses in the body.

How did the researchers conduct the study? What did they observe?

The researchers used the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and examined around 2,171 participants with an average age of 63. The participants reported the availability of the listeners, good advice in their lives, love and affection, regular contact with friends and family, and emotional support. The researchers, through various mechanisms, found that lower brain volume showed lower cognitive functions and found the effect of social support, number of listeners, and good relationships on the brain volume of an individual. The high cerebral volume represented better cognitive performance. The researchers observed that the cognitive function of individuals who have social support was marginally higher than those who had less or no social support. The researchers concluded the study by saying, "While there is still a lot that we don't understand about the specific biological pathways between psychosocial factors like listener availability and brain health, this study gives clues about concrete, biological reasons why we should all seek good listeners and become better listeners ourselves," says Salinas.

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