Social Networks Provide "Protective Reserve" for Alzheimer's Disease

In an earlier posting, I reviewed a study that showed that staying mentally active can help some people to protect against development of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, even when some brain lesions of the disease are present. The usual explanation is that a lifetime of high mental activity creates a kind of protective reserve. Now another study reveals that close contact with friends, relatives and social networks can offer a similar protective-reserve effect. Check the "Medical Issues" section of my Web site's summaries of memory research. Click here.