{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T13:01:40Z","timestamp":1772715700752,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772668800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Loneliness in older adults is recognized as a psychosocial factor influencing cognitive performance. This study examines the impact of self-perceived loneliness both on actual cognitive performance and on individuals\u2019 self- perceived cognitive abilities.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A sample of 510 healthy older adults (354 females) aged between 64 and 103 years (mean = 78.78\u00b18.72) was studied. Participants\u2019 self-perceived loneliness was assessed on UCLA Loneliness Scale-3 (Hughes et al., 2004), their cognitive performance with the standardized cognitive screening GEMS (Global Examination of Mental State) and their self-perceived cognitive efficiency with SMAC (Sclerosi Multipla Autovalutazione Cognitiva [Multiple Sclerosis cognitive self-evaluation]).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Results showed that the higher the perceived loneliness, the worse the cognitive performance (B = -1.18;\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt; 0.001) and the lower the self-perceived cognitive efficiency (B = 2.48;\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt; 0.001). However, loneliness is associated with a tendency to underestimate one\u2019s own cognitive abilities also when performance is average (\n                      <jats:italic>F<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 9.75,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt; 0.001).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Loneliness in older adults should be regarded as highly impactful not only on cognitive performance but also on perception of one\u2019s own abilities. Indeed, even when cognitive efficiency is well preserved, loneliness leads to underestimation of personal cognitive resources.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1725659","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T12:02:02Z","timestamp":1772712122000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Self-perceived loneliness on cognitive functioning and on self-perceived cognitive abilities in aging"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Sonia","family":"Montemurro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua","place":["Padua, Italy"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Radu Valentin","family":"Camenita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua","place":["Padua, Italy"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Sebastianutto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua","place":["Padua, Italy"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Massimo","family":"Nucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Psychology, University of Padua","place":["Padua, Italy"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Mondini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua","place":["Padua, Italy"]},{"name":"Human Inspired Technology - Research Centre HIT, University of Padua","place":["Padua, Italy"]},{"name":"Servizi Clinici Universitari Psicologici (SCUP) - Centro di Ateneo","place":["Padua, Italy"]},{"name":"Department of Social and Developmental Psychology (DPSS), University of Padua","place":["Padua, Italy"]},{"name":"IRCSS San Camillo Hospital","place":["Venice, Italy"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"564","DOI":"10.1038\/s41597-023-02461-z","article-title":"A dementia mortality rates dataset in Italy (2012\u20132019)","volume":"10","author":"Fania","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci Data"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"572","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(24)01296-0","article-title":"Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the lancet standing commission","volume":"404","author":"Livingston","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref3","first-page":"176","article-title":"Social isolation and loneliness: the new geriatric giants: approach for primary care","volume":"66","author":"Freedman","year":"2020","journal-title":"Can Fam Physician"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1080\/17405629.2012.690510","article-title":"The phenotype of loneliness","volume":"9","author":"Cacioppo","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur J Dev Psychol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1177\/026540758900600204","article-title":"Personal relationships, social support, and loneliness","volume":"6","author":"De Jong-Gierveld","year":"1989","journal-title":"J Soc Pers Relat"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1136\/eb-2013-101379","article-title":"Older adults reporting social isolation or loneliness show poorer cognitive function 4 years later","volume":"17","author":"Cacioppo","year":"2014","journal-title":"Evid Based Nurs"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1075563","DOI":"10.3389\/fnagi.2023.1075563","article-title":"Are social isolation and loneliness associated with cognitive decline in ageing?","volume":"15","author":"Cardona","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Aging Neurosci"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1038\/s41398-024-02960-6","article-title":"Leisure activities as reserve mediators of the relationship between loneliness and cognition in aging","volume":"14","author":"Du","year":"2024","journal-title":"Transl Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"392","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afx188","article-title":"Social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for the progression of frailty: the English longitudinal study of ageing","volume":"47","author":"Gale","year":"2018","journal-title":"Age Ageing"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"699","DOI":"10.3233\/ADR-230011","article-title":"The impact of loneliness and social isolation on cognitive aging: a narrative review","volume":"7","author":"Guarnera","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Alzheimer\u2019s Dis Reports"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1080\/13607863.2023.2242291","article-title":"Exploring the relationship between perceived loneliness and subjective cognitive decline in older individuals","volume":"28","author":"Pecchinenda","year":"2024","journal-title":"Aging Ment Health"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"igaf114","DOI":"10.1093\/geroni\/igaf114","article-title":"Self-perceptions of aging and memory in later life: the social pathways","volume":"9","author":"Hu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Innov Aging"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3115","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare11243115","article-title":"The relationship between subjective aging and cognition in elderly people: a systematic review","volume":"11","author":"Fern\u00e1ndez-Ballb\u00e9","year":"2023","journal-title":"Healthcare (Basel)"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2843","DOI":"10.2147\/PRBM.S406523","article-title":"Assessment of an epidemic urgency: psychometric evidence for the UCLA loneliness scale","volume":"16","author":"Bottaro","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psychol Res Behav Manag"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"655","DOI":"10.1177\/0164027504268574","article-title":"A short scale for measuring loneliness in large surveys: results from two population-based studies","volume":"26","author":"Hughes","year":"2004","journal-title":"Res Aging"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"668933","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2021.668933","article-title":"Designing a self-perception cognitive questionnaire for Italian multiple sclerosis patients (Sclerosi Multipla Autovalutazione Cognitiva, SMAC). 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