How Social Connections May Help Protect Cognitive Function

Beth Howard

Updated September 17, 2025

From the beginning of life, the healthy brain relies on relationships. “We would not survive without social interaction,” says Laura Carstensen, professor of psychology and founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity at Stanford University. “We are hardwired to form attachments and to be engaged with others.” That’s why being social is one of Staying Sharp’s six pillars of brain health.

Getting together with friends or family — to play cards, for example, share a meal, discuss books or attend religious services — seems to protect cognitive function. And although the research doesn’t prove that nurturing relationships cause a healthy brain, Carstensen says, the link is compelling.

Social connection — and the lack of it — is a focus of a 2023 health advisory, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” from the U.S. surgeon general. The advisory points to research showing that social connections and engagement may reduce the risk of dementia and are associated with better brain function. In a study of 7,299 adults age 60 and older, published in 2024 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, those who were the least lonely and socially isolated over a period of at least three years had a lower risk of cognitive decline than those who were the most lonely and isolated.

The size of your social network may make a difference, too. Having a large and diverse group of close family and friends may help protect against depression, according to a systematic review of 127 studies of adults with a mean age of at least 60 published in 2024 in Systematic Reviews. For people who have dementia, social connection and activity may offer cognitive benefits, too, evidence suggests.

Researchers attribute these brain benefits to the rush of neurotransmitters released when humans are in the company of others. “Our best guess is that the brain is getting more oxytocin [the “bonding hormone”], dopamine and serotonin,” says Lou Cozolino, a psychologist and professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. “The activation of all those things increases the sense of well-being and decreases stress.”

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Importantly, these brain chemicals serve to counteract the damaging effects of hormones, such as cortisol, which are released when people are under chronic stress. “The lower the level of stress, the lower the cortisol there is,” Cozolino says. With lower cortisol levels, he says, dendrites — the branching extensions of neurons, or nerve cells — grow and can forge robust connections between different regions of the brain. That improves all-over brain function.

It’s not always easy to stay socially engaged. Older adult lives aren’t necessarily geared toward fostering meaningful contact with others. But, Cozolino says, “It’s important for people who are getting older to remain involved with their kids and grandkids and their communities.” Contributing to the “tribe,” he says, feels good and keeps the mind strong.

Volunteering is a great way to expand your social circle, as is trying out a new hobby, like pickleball.

Learn more about the power of social connections and read up on Staying Sharp’s other pillars of brain health: Eat Right, Manage Stress, Restorative Sleep, Engage Your Brain and Ongoing Exercise.

Beth Howard is a North Carolina–based health and lifestyle writer. She has written for dozens of publications, including U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Prevention, Better Homes & Gardens and Reader’s Digest.