Loneliness often first indication of Alzheimer's disease?

Doctors note that people with Alzheimer's suffer 7.5 times more often from loneliness
Is there a connection between loneliness and the development of Alzheimer's? Researchers have now found that loneliness can be a relevant factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Thanks to this insight, loneliness could in future be used as an early indicator of Alzheimer's.

The researchers from the internationally recognized Harvard Medical School found in their study that there is a connection between loneliness and the development of Alzheimer's. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "JAMA Psychiatry".

Loneliness seems to be an important factor in Alzheimer's. Researchers found that people with preclinical Alzheimer's disease are 7.5 times more likely to be lonely. (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com)

Study examines relationship between amyloid value and loneliness
In their study, the American researchers investigated the deposition of amyloid in the brain of seemingly healthy people with the help of so-called brain scans. This protein is related to Alzheimer's disease. The subjects consisted of a group of 79 people with a mean age of 76 years. 28 percent of the participants were carriers of the so-called risk gene Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), explain the physicians. In addition, just under a third of the subjects fell through high levels of amyloid into the so-called amyloid-positive group.

People with preclinical Alzheimer's disease are more often lonely
After controlling for factors such as age, gender, genetics, depression, anxiety, socioeconomic status, and social networks of participants, scientists concluded that people with preclinical Alzheimer's disease are 7.5 times more likely to be lonely compared to people without early onset of the disease , So there is a correlation between larger levels of amyloid in the brain and a stronger sense of loneliness, the researchers say.

Loneliness is the cause or just a symptom of Alzheimer's?
The link between a higher amount of brain amyloid and loneliness was more pronounced in carriers of the Alzheimer's risk gene, the apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), than in non-carriers, explain the physicians. While the study shows evidence of a correlation between loneliness and early signs of the disease, it remains unclear whether social isolation could actually be one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease. Maybe the correlation is just one of the symptoms.

Association of loneliness and cortical amyloid burden noted
We found a novel association of loneliness and cortical amyloid burden in cognitively normal adults, say the experts. In addition, evidence has been found that loneliness is a neuropsychiatric symptom. This could be very relevant for preclinical Alzheimer's disease in the future, explain the authors.

Further research is needed to improve the early detection of Alzheimer's disease
The findings should lead to new research into the neurobiology of loneliness and other social-emotional changes in late life, the researchers explain. Thus, the early detection and intervention in Alzheimer's disease can be improved. (As)