The social environment and cognitive aging over the life course: laying out critical concepts and research gaps

Abstract

The social environment refers to our interpersonal relations, workplaces, and neighborhoods, towns, or cities in which we live. A growing literature indicates that social environments are related to cognitive aging and risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). Still, relatively little is known about how social-environmental exposures affect cognitive function over the life course and into older ages. Addressing this limitation, our paper outlines key features of the social environment and recommends priority areas of research on the social environment and cognitive aging. We divide our discussion into three subdomains: social connections, residential context, and work context. We then identify important gaps in the conceptual and empirical literature before outlining avenues for future research to strengthen our understanding of how social-environmental exposures over the life course link with cognitive function and AD/ADRD risk in late life.

Keywords: neighborhood; residential context; social connections; social environment; work context.