SynthesisSystematic reviews2017
The impact of social activities, social networks, social support and social relationships on the cognitive functioning of healthy older adults: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Systematic reviews, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 451 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
451 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- From verbal fluency to naturalistic speech: a scoping review of language correlates of loneliness and social isolation in older adults.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- Psychosocial and economic factors related to better health among older adults in Europe - a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Neighbourhood-built environment and cognitive or social health in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia: an umbrella review.BMC geriatrics · 2025Pooled it
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Social Cognition Among People Living with HIV: Implications for Non-Social Cognition and Social Everyday Functioning.Neuropsychology review · 2025Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of behaviour change techniques in social interventions targeting improved cognitive function in older adults.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- The association of social networks and depression in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review.Systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Umbrella review and Delphi study on modifiable factors for dementia risk reduction.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2024Pooled it
- Quality over quantity - rethinking social participation in dementia prevention: results from the AgeWell.de trial.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Trial
- Adaptogenic Effects of Mushroom Blend Supplementation on Stress, Fatigue, and Sleep: A Randomised, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Trial.Brain and behavior · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Effects of a Mobile Storytelling App (Huiyou) on Social Participation Among People With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR human factors · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Does Sleep Moderate the Effects of Exercise Training or Complex Mental and Social Activities on Cognitive Function in Adults With Chronic Stroke? Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024Trial
- Effects of a Mobile App to Promote Social Participation on Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Trial
- Associations of Social Engagement and Perceived Interpersonal Connectedness With Cognitive, Mental, and Physical Health in American Indian and Alaska Native Adults.Journal of aging and health · 2026Article
- Social Connection and Epigenetic Aging: Insights from DNA Methylation Clocks.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2026Article
- Family stress model pathways to cognitive function in older adulthood.Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43) · 2026Article
- Association Between Changes in Perceived Neighborhood and Cognitive Performance Within Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span (HANDLS) Black Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Social Support and Social Strain Sources as Predictors of Multimorbidity Changes in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.Journal of aging and health · 2026Article
- Chronic stress, social support, and domain-specific cognitive decline in HABS-HD.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
391 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSocial relationships, which are contingent on access to social networks, promote engagement in social activities and provide access to social support. These social factors have been shown to positively impact health outcomes. In the current systematic review, we offer a comprehensive overview of the impact of social activities, social networks and social support on the cognitive functioning of healthy older adults (50+) and examine the differential effects of aspects of social relationships on various cognitive domains.
methodsWe followed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines, and collated data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), genetic and observational studies. Independent variables of interest included subjective measures of social activities, social networks, and social support, and composite measures of social relationships (CMSR). The primary outcome of interest was cognitive function divided into domains of episodic memory, semantic memory, overall memory ability, working memory, verbal fluency, reasoning, attention, processing speed, visuospatial abilities, overall executive functioning and global cognition.
resultsThirty-nine studies were included in the review; three RCTs, 34 observational studies, and two genetic studies. Evidence suggests a relationship between (1) social activity and global cognition and overall executive functioning, working memory, visuospatial abilities and processing speed but not episodic memory, verbal fluency, reasoning or attention; (2) social networks and global cognition but not episodic memory, attention or processing speed; (3) social support and global cognition and episodic memory but not attention or processing speed; and (4) CMSR and episodic memory and verbal fluency but not global cognition.
conclusionsThe results support prior conclusions that there is an association between social relationships and cognitive function but the exact nature of this association remains unclear. Implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research provided. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO 2012: CRD42012003248 .
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.