A USC Dornsife study, published in ‘Cerebral Cortex’, links susceptibility to financial scams in older adults with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that financial vulnerability may signal early cognitive decline.
Discerning financial fraud demands cognitive skills like critical thinking and problem-solving. The study found that the financial exploitation of seniors often reflects poor decision-making abilities. This decline in decision-making skills may indicate deteriorating cognitive functions and possible structural brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers investigated the entorhinal cortex, a brain region linking the memory-focused hippocampus with the cognitive functions of the medial prefrontal cortex. This area is among the first to exhibit early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and tends to thin as the condition advances.
The study found that individuals prone to poor financial decisions and scams had a thinner entorhinal cortex, particularly in those aged 70 and older. While participants showed no clinical cognitive impairments, they underwent MRI scans to measure entorhinal cortex thickness and completed the Perceived Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale (PFVS) to assess their financial decision-making skills.
The researchers suggest evaluating financial decision-making in older adults as it may indicate cognitive decline. However, financial vulnerability alone isn’t a definitive sign of impairment and should be part of a broader risk assessment.
