Study reveals surprising affect of being lonely on brain

Humans are social creatures, therefore being lonely is not ideal. Being lonely has bad affect on your psychology and overall mood but now study reveals it also has some affects on your brain as well. Socially isolated seniors may be more likely to have a smaller brain than those who are more in contact with others, a new study suggests.

Researchers from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, emphasized that the study shows an association rather than a cause, adding that there is a decrease in the volume of areas of the brain affected by dementia.

Being lonely can cause your brain to get smaller

The average age of the study, which included 8,896 people without dementia, was 73. All participants underwent MRI brain scans and health examinations. 

Those who were less socialized also had lower volume of brain regions that are involved in memory and affected by dementia, such as the hippocampus and amygdala. To detect social contact, the participants were asked the following question: How often do you communicate with relatives or friends who do not live with you (for example, meeting or talking on the phone)? The results were surprising. People who did not socialize much has seen some affects on their brain. "These results show that providing support that enables individuals to connect and maintain connections with others can be beneficial in preventing brain atrophy and the development of dementia. researchers added.

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