A recent study found that caring for a pet — especially among singles and older adults — could help slow rates of cognitive decline.
We all know the saying “Dogs are for life, not just for Christmas”.
This phrase is especially relevant this year, as new research has shown that owning a dog or other pet can help keep the mind active in old age.
Dogs are well known for their ability to improve the fitness of humans, but a British study has just shown that pets can reduce memory decline over a ten-year period compared to people who don’t have them. not.
However, the findings, published in JAMA Neurology, show that pet ownership is associated with slower decline in cognitive abilities only among older adults living alone, and not among those living with other people.
According to the scientists behind this study, owning a pet is therefore a good solution for those who do not have frequent interactions with other human beings.
These include people who have lost their spouse or other family members.
The report’s authors used data from 7,945 adults aged 50 or over living in the UK.
Over a nine-year period, they compared rates of decline in cognitive abilities between pet owners and non-pet owners.
Each year, participants were asked to complete different tests. In particular, they had to name as many animals as possible in one minute and recite 10 unrelated words immediately after they were given, and then again after a certain delay.
The tests measured verbal memory and fluency – two well-known and essential skills for completing daily tasks and remaining independent into old age.
The study showed that people living alone had the greatest mental decline, but that decline was largely offset if a single person cared for a pet.
Dr. Yanzhi Li, lead author of the study, explains that loneliness is a known risk factor for dementia and that pets can help address the problem of social isolation and cognitive decline.
“Of note, compared to pet owners living with other people, pet owners living alone did not show a faster rate of decline in verbal memory or verbal fluency”he says.
“These results preliminarily suggest that pet ownership may completely offset the association between living alone and faster rates of decline in verbal memory and verbal fluency among older adults.”adds Yanzhi Li.
The research findings do not specify the type of pet the participants had, but they suggest that pets are useful beyond keeping their owners physically fit.
The findings come just days after the publication of a separate study from the University of Exeter and Maastricht University that found social isolation is one of several risk factors for early-onset dementia.
Scientists previously believed that genetics was the sole cause of dementia, especially in people who develop it in its early stages.
The team from Exeter and Maastricht, however, discovered that loneliness and depression also play a key role, as do health problems, poverty and lack of education.
Commenting on the findings of both reports, Dr Leah Mursaleen, head of clinical research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, explained that there was increasing hope for the future of the disease.
“We are seeing a transformation in the understanding of dementia risk and, potentially, how to reduce it at both an individual and societal level”she confided.