Informal caregiving

2 papers2 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

2 independent labs in 2 countries
1 finding against

Humans1

Outcomes

Cognitive function

downin humans1−79% studies

1 study

Informal caregiving impairs cognitive function in humans (78.57% of studies).
“78.57% of studies reported cognitive decline”
Reviewinformal caregiving
Is caregiving for someone with neurocognitive disorder a risk factor for developing cognitive decline? A systematic review of cognitive function among informal caregivers
AAIC 2025 abstract26 Dec 2025

Associations

Cognitive function

upin humans1

1 study

Informal caregiving is associated with cognitive function in humans.
“After matching, caregivers had higher follow-up cognitive function than comparable non-caregivers.”
HumansPropensity-matched caregivers compared with non-caregivers2 years
The role of social ties in the cognitive function of older informal caregivers: findings from a population-based propensity-matched analysis
Aging & mental health12 Oct 2026