Associations between loneliness and cognitive resilience to neuropathology in older adults.

Higher and increasing loneliness was associated with lower cognitive resilience in the face of neuropathology. These results suggest that some individuals are less resilient to the accumulation of neuropathology than others, and experiencing high/increasing loneliness is a key factor putting some at risk. Interventions aimed at optimizing cognitive function across older adults should include loneliness reduction as a potential area of focus.