Genetic association of social participation with cognitive function: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

BackgroundCognitive decline poses a significant challenge in aging societies. While some studies suggest that active social participation mitigates cognitive decline, others present conflicting findings.ObjectiveThis bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study aimed to elucidate the causal relationship between social participation and cognitive function.MethodsThe cognitive performance dataset (n = 257,841) was used as the discovery sample, while cognitive function (n = 22,593) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) datasets (n = 394,705) served as replication samples and proxies for severe cognitive decline. Inverse variance weighting was the primary analytical method, supplemented by weighted median, MR-Egger, MR.RAPS, MR-PRESSO, and maximum likelihood methods for sensitivity analyses.ResultsSocial participation in sports club or gym (β = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.14, p < 0.001), religious group (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.14, p < 0.001) and other group activity (β = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.09, p < 0.001) reduced the risk of cognitive decline, while pub or social club (β = -0.06, 95% CI: -0.1 to -0.02, p = 0.005) and social inactivity (β = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.09 to -0.01, p = 0.017) accelerated cognitive decline. Improved cognitive performance promoted participation in beneficial activities and reduced pub or social club participation. Additionally, AD motivated visits to pub or social club (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.03, p = 0.011).ConclusionsSpecific types of social participation may protect against cognitive decline, offering evidence for targeted interventions to prompt cognitive health in aging populations.