Dr. Aron Buchman and colleagues at the Rush Alzheimers Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago report from a longitudinal cohort study of 906 people for almost five years, they found that with each one point decrease in social activity there was an associated 33% more rapid decline in motor function which was also associated with more than a 40% increased risk of death and a 65% increased risk of disability. Dr. Buchman and colleagues conclude, The differences in rate of decline we’re talking about are not trivial The fact that we’ve found this means that we need additional research to figure out what the biology is and to be clearer about what it is about social activity that’s driving this association to be able to use it from a public-health point of view