Social ties may preserve memory, slow brain ageing

A strong social network of friends and family may help preserve memory and protect it from the ill effects of ageing, a study in mice suggests.

Scientists from the Ohio State University in the US found that mice housed in groups had better memories and healthier brains than animals that lived in pairs.

The discovery bolsters a body of research in humans and animals that supports the role of social connections in preserving the mind and improving quality of life, said Elizabeth Kirby, an assistant professor at Ohio State.

"Our research suggests that merely having a larger social network can positively influence the ageing brain," said Kirby, lead researcher of the study published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

"We know that in humans there's a strong correlation between cognitive health and social connections, but we don't know if it is having a group of friends that's protecting people or if it's that people with declining brain health withdraw from their human connections," Kirby said.

This study was designed to answer that hard-to-crack question with an animal model.

Some mice lived in pairs, which Kirby refers to as the "old-couple model." Others were housed for three months with six other roommates, a scenario that allows for "pretty complex interactions."