# Social Isolation and Loneliness due to COVID-19: Effect on Cognitive, Physical, and Mental Health in Older Adults in the SAGES Study

> **NIH NIH P01** · HEBREW REHABILITATION CENTER FOR AGED · 2020 · $520,674

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
With the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and associated Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) to the U.S. in
March 2020 came an extraordinary shift in daily living. Social distancing (SD) and sheltering in place (SIP),
while essential in the fight against COVID-19, have created unique challenges for the health and well-being of
older adults, and in particular those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease and related
dementia (ADRD). Decreased socialization for many community-dwelling older adults has led to increased
feelings of isolation and loneliness, both of which has been shown in numerous studies to lead to adverse
outcomes. For this supplement application, “Social Isolation and Loneliness due to COVID-19: Effect on
Cognitive, Physical, and Mental Health in Older Adults in the SAGES Study, we propose two related sub-
projects: Sub-Project 1 will examine the effects of COVID-19 related loneliness on cognitive, physical, and
mental health in the Successful Aging After Elective Surgery (SAGES I) Study (NIA grant P01 AG031720, PI
Inouye), an ongoing prospective cohort study of 315 older adults with an average age of 84 years old, who
have been followed after elective major non-cardiac surgery with serial cognitive, physical and functional
measures. We will use this well-characterized cohort to (1) Examine potential predictors of loneliness resulting
from social distancing, (2) Examine the effect of loneliness on cognitive function in persons with and without
MCI or ADRD, and (3) Examine the effect of loneliness on physical and mental health in persons with and
without MCI or ADRD. We hypothesize that the SIP order due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will increase
loneliness in older adults, and for those with pre-existing MCI and ADRD, loneliness will be associated with
greater declines in cognitive, physical and mental health compared to those without MCI and ADRD. In
addition to their established annual visit, all SAGES follow-up participants will undergo extra telephone
interviews for this project, two at the start of the study and two 6 months later. The interview will include
measures of loneliness, social network size, social and physical activities, technology use, pre-existing
cognitive and functional or mobility impairment, cognition, anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 infection or
exposure. Hospitalizations, medical visits, falls, nursing home placement, new prescription medication use, and
death will be determined. Sub-Project 2 will allow us to convert study procedures to remote assessments
during the time of COVID-19; and to harmonize and validate the SAGES neuropsychological assessment
administered via telephone, videoconferencing, and in-person modes. This study will generate statistically
comparable scores across our approaches to examine cognitive trajectories over time. Significance: This study
will allow us to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 related loneliness on cognitive, physical, and me...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10199108
- **Project number:** 3P01AG031720-08S1
- **Recipient organization:** HEBREW REHABILITATION CENTER FOR AGED
- **Principal Investigator:** SHARON K. INOUYE
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $520,674
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10199108

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10199108, Social Isolation and Loneliness due to COVID-19: Effect on Cognitive, Physical, and Mental Health in Older Adults in the SAGES Study (3P01AG031720-08S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10199108. Licensed CC0.

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