FAMILY AND FRIENDS NETWORKS AND VERBAL EPISODIC MEMORY IN OLDER ADULTS: SEX DIFFERENCES IN ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE CORTISOL AWAKENING RESPONSE

The decline of social and family networks in later life represents a relevant health risk factor, potentially affecting neuroendocrine regulation and cognitive performance. This exploratory study examined the association between family and friends network size, cortisol awakening response, and verbal episodic memory in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 270 adults aged over 60 years participated in the study. Family and social networks were assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale. Verbal episodic memory was evaluated with the spanish versión of the Califonia Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Cortisol awakening response was calculated as the area under the curve with respect to increase (AUCiCAR). After adjustment for age, depressive symptoms, and medication use, lower family network size in men was associated with higher cortisol awakening response and poorer short-term verbal memory. Mediation analyses indicated that cortisol awakening response partially mediated the association between family network size and short-term verbal memory. In both men and women, lower family network size was associated with poorer long-term cued memory, with no significant mediation by cortisol. In contrast, friend network size was not significantly associated with memory performance or cortisol awakening response in either sex. These findings suggest that circadian hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity may represent a sex-specific psychobiological mechanism linking family social networks to cognitive performance in older men, whereas different pathways may underlie this association in women. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify temporal directionality and sex-specific mechanisms through which social networks influence cognitive function during aging.