Sun Yat-Sen University, China
Cats are commonly kept as pets. Provided by Getty Image Bank
Interacting with companion animals has been known to be effective in preventing the decline of verbal memory and fluency in the elderly. However, new research suggests that this causal relationship is unclear.
Shiyong Lu, a researcher at Sun Yat-Sen University in China, published a study focusing on these issues in the international academic journal ‘JAMA Network Open’ on the 26th.
The research team conducted a cohort study targeting 7,945 participants aged 50 or older. Their average age was 66.3 years and 56% were women. The results of the survey showed that the complex language cognition, verbal memory, and verbal fluency of seniors living alone were correlated with pet ownership.
However, elderly people living with others did not show this tendency. Additionally, no significant differences were found when comparing the degree of decline in language skills between the elderly living alone group and the elderly group living with others in the participating group. This means that it is impossible to conclude whether maintaining language skills has a clear causal relationship with pet ownership.
Until now, companion animals have been commonly known to help prevent dementia. In relation to this, earlier this month, research team Director Yoshinori Fujiwara of the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center in Japan stated in the international academic journal ‘Preventive Medicine Report’, “As a result of a survey of Japanese elderly people, owning a dog reduces the risk of dementia by 40%.”
However, the research team concluded that more research is needed to determine the relationship between pet ownership and verbal memory. The research team said, “This study disproves the existing research results that companion animals can help reduce cognitive decline in the elderly,” and added, “Additional research is needed to know how pets help the elderly’s cognition.” said.
