Researchers found that rats living alone throughout their lives experienced accelerated brain aging compared to those housed with companions. The study tracked 19 rats from young adulthood to 26 months old, with identical toys, exercise equipment, and activities for both groups. Isolated rats struggled with cognitive flexibility and made more memory errors on demanding tasks, while socially housed rats performed comparably to young rats. Brain scans revealed isolated rats activated more neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex, indicating their brains worked harder with less efficiency. Meanwhile, socially housed rats maintained higher activity in hippocampal CA3 memory circuits essential for distinguishing between similar memories. The research demonstrates that social isolation acts like a toxin to aging brains, while companionship functions as protective medicine for cognitive health. (Story URL)
