273128 Social networks and their influence on brain aging

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Daniel George, PhD, MSc , Department of Humanities, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
We have entered the age of the social network, and this metaphor is increasingly used to describe our interconnectedness as a species.  Evolutionary biologists have, for decades, argued that the tendency to transmit information through person-to-person networks is a deep-seated attribute of human beings, and that small cooperative, egalitarian networks have provided a selective advantage that enabled our ancestors to secure more food (hunting large game) and potable water, fend off competing tribes, and transmit knowledge across generations, ultimately rendering forebears more likely to reproduce and survive. Evolution has thus favored larger brains and greater cognitive and emotional capacity to respond to the demands of increasingly complex social environments, and we now are born into highly complex and ubiquitous social networks that exert a powerful influence on the health of our species. However, in contemporary Western cultures, the cognitively frail face a deep stigma and are often removed from networks and opportunities for purposeful relationships, personal development, and meaningful contribution. There has been a recent push to establish "dementia-friendly communities" in countries around the world and create shared spaces for the young and old. Data from one such shared space -- The Intergenerational School in Cleveland, OH -- will be shared as well as examples from other cultural contexts.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe how social networks affect risk factors for brain aging Discuss cross-cultural examples of shared spaces that integrate persons with dementia

Keywords: Culture, Aging

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an assistant professor at Penn State College of Medicine.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.