Alzheimer is a common disease in older folks, but a new study suggests that a subtle feeling of loneliness might be a warning of the upcoming disease. Researchers found that seniors with higher brain levels of amyloid, which is a type of protein fragment related to Alzheimer's disease are more likely to feel lonely rather than people with lower level of amyloid.

According to Dr. Nancy Donovan, director of the center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said that people with levels of amyloid are the ones truly at the high risk for Alzheimer. People who remained socially active are the less likely to develop dementia, CBS News has reported.

The result also works the other way around, people in the early stage of Alzheimer's might be socially detached or more inclined to feel lonely. Early social signs of cognitive change include not so well function of perceiving, responding or understanding to social interactions. Dr. Donovan suggests that if this is proven then the doctors can focus on patients' emotional health.

To test the relationship between Alzheimer's risk, Dr. Donovan, and her colleagues examined 36 men and 43 women in the average age of 76. They were all healthy and have no sign of dementia or Alzheimer's. The examination focused particularly on amyloid levels in the cerebral cortex, part of the brain that plays the role in attention, memory thought and perception, according to Health Day.

But the study doesn't prove a direct point cause-and-effect between a socially detached and isolated person for having Alzheimer's. According to Dr. Gisele Wolf-Klein, a director, of geriatric education for Northwest Health in Great Neck, N.Y, says that the finding is "very new" but the study was performed in a very small group of older folks from Boston. In order to validate the findings, the study should involve a larger group.

According to a director of Science Initiatives, medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, Dean Heartley said that behavioral change may be a sign of mild cognitive dementia or impairment and doctors in the future should be trained to look for apathy, social impulsiveness, mood changes and loneliness, there are the early signs of Alzheimer's.

Results of the study were published Nov. 2, online in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.