Social isolation, memory and thinking skills
Are you having a difficult time remembering things ever since the pandemic dawned upon us? Inconclusive studies have shown that living in isolation is not very good for our memories. Although it is too early for conclusive research on our memory skills before and after the Covid-19 pandemic, having a more difficult time remembering things can be a social isolation side effect. According to Dr. Joel Salinas, a behavioral neurologist and faculty member of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, “It’s something I’m seeing clinically. كازينو اون لاين عربي Some people were okay before the pandemic and now they’re having faster cognitive decline. لعبة فلوس حقيقية ”
Currently there is not enough evidence to back whether there is a correlation between pandemic lockdowns and a change in memory. A small study found that 60% of people with Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment were affected with delirium and worsening of cognition.
Isolation has been a problem for older adults even before the pandemic started.
Older adults are at an increased risk of loneliness and social isolation, putting them at a higher risk of developing dementia and other health conditions. “In studies of people, isolation is associated with an increased risk for dementia, although it’s unclear how high the risk is,” Dr. كيف تربح في لعبة الروليت Salinas says. “In lab animals, isolation has been shown to cause brain shrinkage and the kind of brain changes you’d see in Alzheimer’s disease — reduced brain cell connections and reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which is important for the formation, connection, and repair of brain cells.”
Isolation is further associated with an increased risk of loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression, chronic inflammation, stroke and heart attack.
The link behind loneliness and cognitive decline is still unclear, however, can be caused by a lack of access to resources, reduced social support and decrease in stimulating mental activity. The pandemic may further cause you to experience high levels of stress which can affect the processing skills of the brain.
If you feel that you are experiencing cognitive decline because of social isolation, reach out to others for help!
While it can be challenging to get help during a pandemic, there are several options to reach out to others. You can use video or social apps to chat with friends and people with similar interests. You can also reconnect with an old friend over the phone, which research suggests is as helpful as meeting in person.
Dr. Salina says, “if low social interaction is the reason your memory and cognition have been fuzzy, then I think the chances are it would reverse when you increase social interaction.”
However, if you are worried about your memory, your doctor can assess you for the risk of social isolation and memory loss.
References
How isolation affects memory and thinking skills https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/how-isolation-affects-memory-and-thinking-skills
