Study Links Loneliness to Lower Baseline Memory but Not Faster Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:13:00 +0200

A large longitudinal study of more than 10,000 adults aged 65 to 94 across 12 European countries provides new insight into how loneliness relates to memory in later life. Using data from the SHARE project over a six-year period, researchers found that individuals who reported higher levels of loneliness tended to perform worse on tests of immediate and delayed recall. However, the rate at which their memory declined over time was nearly identical to that of participants who did not feel lonely. This suggests that loneliness affects the baseline level of memory performance rather than accelerating cognitive decline itself.

Age remained the strongest predictor of both memory performance and its decline, with sharper decreases observed after age 75 and especially after 85. Other factors, including depression and chronic conditions such as diabetes, were also associated with lower initial memory scores. Physical activity emerged as a protective factor: participants who engaged in moderate