Surprising new cause of dementia discovered... and scientists say it occurs decades before symptoms appear

Daily Mail ^ | 15:06 EST, 16 November 2025 | Updated: 16:43 EST, 16 November 2025 | CASSIDY MORRISON,

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The roots of cognitive decline later in life may begin in childhood, a major new study suggests.

Researchers discovered that the experience of childhood loneliness is strongly linked to accelerated cognitive decline and a significantly higher risk of dementia in people 50 and up. 

The critical factor was the subjective, emotional feeling of loneliness itself, which sharply increased dementia risk even for those who had friends. 

Crucially, the link persisted even for those who were no longer lonely as adults, suggesting the damaging effects of early-life isolation can cast a long shadow over the brain's health.

While loneliness at any age is a known risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, the long-term impact of loneliness experienced in childhood is poorly understood. 

This is a critical gap, as childhood is a period of significant brain development, where a child is highly vulnerable to stressors such as loneliness, poverty and food insecurity, neglect and bullying. 

Nearly half of the roughly 1,400 adults in the study reported being lonely and without close friends in childhood.

People who felt lonely as children started their middle-aged years with lower memory and thinking skills. Moreover, their cognitive abilities declined at a faster pace each year compared to those who were not lonely as kids.

The latest study found that frequent childhood loneliness is linked to faster cognitive decline in midlife and a 41 percent higher risk of dementia (stock)

According to the latest research, childhood loneliness was consistently linked to a significantly faster rate of cognitive decline in later life, shown in the downward-trending graph. This association was strong and clear across the entire group of participants

The research was a collaborative effort by scientists from universities in China, Australia, and the United States, including Harvard and Boston universities. 

The team analyzed data from a large, long-term...

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TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science
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[Sequoyah101]

Grasping at straws.