Bidirectional associations of intellectual and social activities with cognitive function among middle-aged and elderly adults in China

Incidence of cognitive impairment after hypothetical interventions on depression, nighttime sleep duration, and leisure activity engagement among older Chinese adults: An application of the parametric g-formula

“…Cognitive impairment risks did not decrease under the SA intervention. A similar result was reported by Li et al ( 48 ) who found that a higher participation in SA did not improve cognitive function. Moreover, an RCT conducted by Park et al ( 49 ) also found that engagement in SA had limited cognitive benefits.…”

“…Excess β-amyloid can accumulate in the brain as plaques that block the gaps between synapses, which in turn affects the electrical signals used by the neurons to communicate with each other; moreover, the chemistry-imbalanced tau protein can entangle with other tau proteins to form tangles, which will destroy microtubules and prevent necessary nutrients from reaching nerve endings of neurons, thus causing the entire cell to become dysfunctional. All of these alterations can cause cognitive impairment ( 48 ). According to the cognitive reserve theory, IA can strengthen the functioning and plasticity of neural circuits, further increasing the cognitive reserve and decreasing the risk of cognitive impairment ( 25 ).…”

“…Moreover, an RCT conducted by Park et al ( 49 ) also found that engagement in SA had limited cognitive benefits. Interpretations for this phenomenon may be attributed to the fact that reduced social participation is an early manifestation of cognitive impairment rather than a cause ( 48 ). Additionally, simple SA is not particularly helpful in optimizing cognition in the long term because of the relatively passive participation and low cognitive demand.…”

The regulatory roles of socio‐economic status, social and intellectual activity in the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive decline trajectory in middle‐aged and elderly Chinese: A prospective cohort study

“…When additionally controlling for these variables, with similar results to the present study, the evidence for an association between moderate drinking and cognition was no longer significant 19,20 . Accordingly, a cross‐sectional study using the CFAS‐Wales cohort also supports that healthy and active lifestyles can maintain cognitive health, 47 two other studies using longitudinal cohorts also confirmed that engaging in social and intellectual activities can modify the relationship between alcohol consumption and functional limitations 27,48 …”

“…19,20 Accordingly, a cross-sectional study using the CFAS-Wales cohort also supports that healthy and active lifestyles can maintain cognitive health, 47 two other studies using longitudinal cohorts also confirmed that engaging in social and intellectual activities can modify the relationship between alcohol consumption and functional limitations. 27,48 To further distinguish between confounders and moderators, the present study introduced moderating and mediating analyses, confirming that education level should be controlled for as a confounder, that SES exerted a negative moderating effect, attenuating the impairment of cognitive function by heavy drinking, and that social and intellectual activity acted as mediators to link alcohol consumption to cognitive decline. Therefore, the view that moderate alcohol consumption slows cognitive decline compared to no alcohol consumption or heavy alcohol consumption in previous studies [13][14][15][16][17][18] may require further explanation of the groups to which it applies, and we should recognize that it is the frequent participation in social and intellectual activities that accompanies social drinking that plays a role in slowing cognitive decline,so middle-aged and older age groups should be encouraged to participate in more social and intellectual activities to better prevent cognitive decline.…”