Objective: To investigate the association between cognitive changes and new friendship formation among older adults in a multidomain dementia prevention program. Methods: A 1-year multidomain intervention was conducted for 34 community-dwelling older adults (18 females, 16 males, mean age 78.3 y, SD=4.3) meeting the operational criteria for mild cognitive impairment. Cognitive changes were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J). Participants reported new friendships based on social support functions (eg, emotional and instrumental support). A 2-way repeated-measures ANCOVA (time×group), adjusted for education, examined the main effects and interactions on the total MoCA-J and subscale scores. Results: The total MoCA-J scores showed no significant main effects or interaction. However, subscale analysis revealed a significant main effect of time on visuospatial/executive function and a significant main effect of friend-presence group on orientation. Specifically, the friend-presence group consistently exhibited higher orientation scores than the absence group at both time points. Conclusion: Overall, cognitive function was maintained throughout the program. Exploratory findings suggest that visuospatial/executive functions showed potential improvement, and preserved orientation was associated with successful friendship formation. Thus, facilitating social connections alongside standard activities may enhance future dementia prevention programs.
Shimizu et al. (2026) studied this question.