Association of community-level social capital with dementia: A multilevel nine-year longitudinal study using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

Community- and individual-level social capital and cognitive function among older adults in China: a multilevel analysis

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine (a) the association of cognitive function with community- and with individual-level cognitive and structural social capital, and (b) the cross-level interaction effects of social capital on cognitive function among older adults in China.

METHOD

Quota sampling was used to collect data from 800 respondents living in 20 communities in Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, China, in 2020. Multilevel analysis was conducted to examine the hypotheses.

RESULTS

Individual-level structural social capital was significantly associated with better cognitive function. Furthermore, individual-level cognitive social capital was negatively associated with cognitive function among older adults with low community-level structural social capital, whereas the above association was positive among those with high community-level structural social capital. Following the same pattern, the associations between community-level structural social capital and cognitive function varied by individual-level cognitive social capital.

CONCLUSION

This research highlights the protective role of individual-level structural social capital in Chinese older adults' cognitive function. It also delivers in-depth insights into the varying associations between social capital and cognitive function across different communities or individuals. Future research and practices should focus on cultivating social capital at both levels, and pay attention to the cross-level interactions of social capital.

Multifaceted Music Therapy for Depression in Dementia: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of various music therapy interventions in ameliorating depressive symptoms in dementia patients, utilizing a network meta-analysis approach. We rigorously selected randomized controlled trials focused on music therapy for dementia with depressive symptoms from major electronic databases. The primary outcome measured was the impact on depressive symptoms, with the secondary outcome evaluating dropout rates across different intervention groups and standard care control groups. The research protocol has been duly registered with PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD42023393059). Our network meta-analysis incorporated 14 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1080 participants and examined a range of interventions, including active music therapy, listening to music, rhythmic music therapy, singing, and tailored music interventions. The analysis revealed that active music therapy combined with singing emerged as the most effective intervention, demonstrating a significant improvement in depressive symptoms in dementia patients (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD] = -0.89, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -1.48 to -0.30). In contrast, listening to music alone showed a smaller effect (SMD = -0.26, 95% CI: -0.71 to 0.20). This study was particularly noteworthy for not showing higher dropout rates compared to standard care, indicating its feasibility and acceptability in clinical settings. The findings of our study indicate that active music therapy combined with singing is an effective approach to reducing depressive symptoms in dementia patients, potentially due to enhanced social interaction. These results offer new perspectives for dementia care, suggesting a promising direction for further research and clinical application.