Social determinants of cognitive decline among Irish older adults
- Centre for Public Health, QUB
Mentors: Professors Frank Kee, Brian Lawlor, Rose Anne Kenny and Ian Robertson
Region
- Northern Ireland
- Republic of Ireland
Project Lead
Funding source
Status
Ongoing
Last updated
13th January 2015The focus of Dr Joanna McHugh's research as part of the CARDI Leadership Programme is the social determinants of cognitive decline among older adults in Ireland, North and South. It will examine the causal links between loneliness, social isolation and cognitive decline, and aims to reveal the mechanisms behind these links studying and comparing longitudinal Irish population studies, TILDA and NICOLA. The project will investigate several factors such as social support, stress, neuro-inflammation and white matter structural integrity to clarify their contributions to the relationship between social isolation and cognitive outcomes in later life.