AUTHOR=Kassam Kareena , McMillan Jacqueline M. 

TITLE=The impact of loneliness and social isolation during COVID-19 on cognition in older adults: a scoping review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1287391

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1287391

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic required implementation of public health measures to reduce the spread of SARS CoV-2. This resulted in social isolation and loneliness for many older adults. Loneliness and social isolation are associated with cognitive decline, however, the impact of this during COVID-19 has not been fully characterized. 
Objective: 
The aim of this scoping review was to explore the impact of social isolation and loneliness during COVID-19 on cognition in older adults.  
Eligibility Criteria:
Eligible studies occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, enrolled older adults and reported longitudinal quantitative data on both loneliness (exposure) and cognition (outcome).
Sources of Evidence:
A comprehensive search was conducted in CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, and Psychinfo databases (updated October 10, 2023). .
Charting Methods:
Studies were screened independently by two reviewers and study characteristics, including participant demographics, loneliness and cognition measurement tools, study objectives, methods and results were extracted.
Results:
The search yielded 415 results, and seven were included in the final data synthesis. All studies were conducted between 2019 and 2023. Six studies enrolled community-dwelling individuals while the remaining study was conducted in long- term care. In 6 studies, loneliness and/or social isolation was correlated with poorer cognitive function. In the seventh study, subjective memory worsened, while objective cognitive testing did not. 
Conclusions:
Loneliness and social isolation during COVID-19 were correlated with cognitive decline in older adults. The long-term effect of these impacts remains to be shown. Future studies may focus on interventions to mitigate the effects of loneliness and social isolation during future pandemics.