Social contact

6 papers4 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.

3 independent labs in 2 countries

Funders: College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and 2 more

Human trial1
Humans4

Outcomes

Cognitive decline

downin humans1

1 study

Social contact decreases cognitive decline in humans.
“Frequency of social contact was associated with slower midlife cognitive decline”
Humans
Does type or diversity of activities delay aging-related cognitive decline?
Innovation in aging5 Feb 2026

Dysbiosis

downin humans1

1 study

Social contact prevents dysbiosis in humans.
“social contacts are associated with horizontal transmission of commensal bacteria, enhancing biodiversity and preventing dysbiosis.”
Review
The social microbiome of older people
Ageing research reviews31 Dec 2025

Depressive symptoms

downin humans1

1 study

Social contact decreases depressive symptoms in humans.
“Exercise and social contact both resulted in significant reductions in both the total and the psychological subscale of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).”
Human trialmoderately depressedn = 30
The effect of exercise on depressive symptoms in the moderately depressed elderly
Psychology and aging1 Sep 1991

Associations

Cognitive function

upin humans1

1 study

Social contact is associated with cognitive function in humans.
“Number of periodically contacted confidants was most strongly associated with future cognitive function (p<.001).”
Humans
Frequency of contact with confidants and cognitive decline over time in old age
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025