# Understanding how social connectedness protects older adults' cognitive health: the role of social cognition

> **NIH NIH R01** · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $725,123

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Social and lifestyle interventions are a promising innovation for delaying the onset of
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. Extensive work has shown that
maintaining social connectedness through personal social networks (the group of family
members, friends, and other acquaintances in which individuals are socially embedded)
confers resilience to cognitive decline and AD. The current proposal uses an
interdisciplinary and multi-method approach to elucidate the mechanism by which this
occurs. To date, existing research has focused on the implications of social networks for
one neurocognitive pathway – general cognitive ability. The current proposal tests the
novel prediction that a different pathway – social cognitive function – is a key component
underlying the linkages between social networks, general cognitive function, and AD
resilience. Social cognitive function – the process by which people understand, store,
and apply information about others – is essential for successfully navigating social
interactions, and declines over the lifespan. The proposed work explores the prediction
that exercising social cognitive abilities through complex social interactions within their
personal social networks stimulates older adults’ general cognitive function, thereby
improving their resilience. In Aim 1, we examine the relationship between older adults’
social networks and their social cognitive function, as well as the possibility that having
better social cognitive function may be protective for general cognitive function. Aim 2
uses a novel neuroimaging approach to identify the neurobiological mechanisms that
give rise to the relationship between social networks and social cognitive function.
Finally, Aim 3 uses a longitudinal design to gain insight into the causal relationship
between social network dynamics, social cognitive decline, and general cognitive
decline. The proposed study is interdisciplinary, combining cutting-edge methods
from the social and biomedical sciences, and leveraging the resources of funded
centers for AD, neuroimaging, and network science. The long-term goal of this project
is to improve the clinical course of AD, and reduce the prevalence and public health
impact of dementia. By increasing our understanding of the links between biological
and social processes, this project may help identify novel targets for intervention to
reduce the burden of AD on individuals, families, and the health care system.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10128737
- **Project number:** 1R01AG070931-01
- **Recipient organization:** TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Anne Catherine Krendl
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $725,123
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10128737

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10128737, Understanding how social connectedness protects older adults' cognitive health: the role of social cognition (1R01AG070931-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10128737. Licensed CC0.

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