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Sep 07, 2024 05:10 PM IST
A new study has found a link between financial decision-making skills and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.
In today’s digital world, financial scams are widespread, and older people often fall prey to them. A groundbreaking study conducted by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, uncovered a startling connection between vulnerability to financial scams and early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers describe how financial vulnerability may be linked to early cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Financial weakness signals cognitive decline
Recognizing financial fraud requires cognitive skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. Researchers discovered how financial exploitation of senior citizens reflects poor decision-making skills. This declining ability to make decisions and ultimately falling prey to scams indicates a decline in cognitive skills. This, in turn, indicates possible structural changes in the brain that may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
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brain changes related to cognitive decline
The researchers examined the entorhinal cortex, an area of the brain that connects the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, with the medial prefrontal cortex, which handles cognitive functions. The entorhinal cortex is one of the first areas to show signs of Alzheimer’s disease and becomes thinner as the disease progresses.
The researchers found that individuals who make poor financial decisions and are more vulnerable to financial scams have a thinner entorhinal cortex. This was particularly prevalent in participants aged 70 and older. No clinical cognitive impairment was observed in the study participants; they underwent MRI scans to assess the thickness of the entorhinal cortex and completed a standardized test called the Perceived Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale (PFVS) to evaluate their financial decision-making skills.
Researchers recommend assessing financial decision-making skills in older adults, as these may signal the onset of cognitive impairment. However, financial vulnerability alone is not a definitive indicator of cognitive impairment; it is best studied as one component of a larger assessment of risk factors.
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