Fallen for a financial scam? Maybe it's time to test for Alzheimer's

Brain changes linked to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease may also make some older adults vulnerable to financial scams, according to new research. Alzheimer’s patients can become targets of various forms of financial exploitation, the paper said Alzheimer’s Association. These scams include theft, stealing wallets, car thefthome repair scams, telephone lawyers and even burglars.

According to the National Institute on AgingProblems with managing money and with financial decision-making in general can be one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Now the new research suggests that vulnerability to scams may develop before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear. A study at Dornsife College of the University of Southern California examined subjects who showed no signs of clinical disorders.

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Vulnerability of financial scams

The researchers focused on a brain region that acts as a relay station between the hippocampus – the learning and memory center of the brain – and the medial prefrontal cortex, which regulates emotion, motivation and other cognitive functions. The researchers used a high-powered MRI to examine the brains of 97 study participants aged 52 to 83, focusing on the thickness of this area, known as the entorhinal cortex. According to the researchers, thinning of the entorhinal cortex is often the first sign of changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers also used a standardized tool, the Perceived Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale, to assess participants’ financial awareness and their susceptibility to poor financial decisions, which they call “financial exploitation vulnerability” (FEV).

The subjects considered more vulnerable to financial scams had a thinner entorhinal cortex, especially those aged 70 and older. Previous research has linked FEV to mild cognitive impairment, dementia and molecular brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Study leader Duke Hanprofessor of psychology and family medicine, says the findings provide evidence to support the idea that FEV could ultimately become a new clinical tool that could be used to contribute to a broader risk profile that could help detect cognitive changes in older adults – changes that occur frequently. difficult to detect. “Assessing financial vulnerability in older adults could help identify those who are in the early stages of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease,” says Han, adding that financial vulnerability alone is not a definitive is an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive decline.

Study limitations

Han also notes several limitations of the study, which was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging. For example, the study proves no link between entorhinal cortex thickness and FEV. Furthermore, the study participants were mostly older, well-educated white women, and it is not clear that the findings can be applied to a broader population. Therefore, Hann suggested that further research in more diverse populations is needed before FEV can be considered a reliable cognitive assessment tool.

Note: A version of this article first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly magazine that addresses the top concerns of affluent older Americans who have retired or are preparing for retirement. Register for pension advice that’s right on the money.