Owning a pet might help slow down cognitive decline in older adults living alone, according to new research published in JAMA Network Open. The study provides initial evidence that the companionship of pets could play an important role in maintaining mental sharpness as we age.
The motivation behind this study stemmed from a growing public health concern: the rise in cognitive decline and dementia in our aging population. With the number of people suffering from dementia expected to more than double by 2050, understanding and addressing the factors that influence cognitive health in older adults is increasingly important.
Researchers are particularly interested in modifiable factors – aspects of lifestyle or environment that can be changed to improve health outcomes. This study specifically looked at the potential impact of pet ownership, a factor that is both significant and modifiable, on cognitive function in older adults.
The study was conducted using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which includes a nationally representative group of adults aged 50 and older living in the United Kingdom. The researchers focused on a subset of 7,945 participants, whose average age was 66 years. Most of these individuals were White, with a fairly even gender split.
To assess cognitive function, the study utilized measures of verbal memory and fluency – essentially how well participants could remember words and how fluently they could access and use language. These cognitive abilities were evaluated at multiple points over several years, providing a dynamic picture of how participants’ mental capabilities changed over time.
The researchers found that pet ownership was associated with a slower rate of decline in verbal memory and fluency among older adults. This suggests that having a pet could have a protective effect on certain aspects of cognitive function.
Further analyses revealed that living alone seemed to modify the relationship between pet ownership and cognitive decline. For older adults living by themselves, having a pet was linked to a noticeably slower rate of decline in verbal abilities.
However, this protective effect of pet ownership was not observed in those living with others. This distinction underscores the potential role of pets in providing social and emotional support, which might be particularly beneficial for individuals who lack human companionship.
The findings are in line with a previous study, published in Scientific Reports, which found that older adults who own pets, especially dogs, experience slower cognitive decline compared to non-owners, with this effect more pronounced in dog owners who regularly walk their dogs.
Even after controlling for age and health conditions, pet owners showed less deterioration in memory, executive function, language function, psychomotor speed, and processing speed over ten years, with cat owners also experiencing less decline in memory and language function.
Similarly, a study in the Journal of Aging and Health on U.S. adults over 50 found that individuals above 65 who had owned a pet for more than 5 years showed higher cognitive and memory scores compared to their non-pet-owning peers. This association was not observed in participants under 65.
Despite these promising findings, it’s important to note the study’s limitations. The observational nature of the new study means we can’t definitively conclude that owning a pet directly causes slower cognitive decline – there may be other factors at play. “Randomized clinical trials are needed to assess whether pet ownership slows the rate of cognitive decline in older adults living alone,” the researchers concluded.
The study, “Pet Ownership, Living Alone, and Cognitive Decline Among Adults 50 Years and Older“, was authored by Yanzhi Li, Wanxin Wang, Liwan Zhu, Liwen Yang, Herui Wu, Xiaojuan Zhang, Lan Guo, and Ciyong Lu.
