Elder Scam Call (© Andrey Popov - stock.adobe.com)
LOS ANGELES — As we age, our brains undergo changes that can affect our decision-making abilities, particularly when it comes to financial matters. Now, new research suggests that these changes might make some older adults more vulnerable to financial exploitation, such as falling victim to scams or making poor decisions with their money. Concerningly, researchers say this vulnerability may actually reveal the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, long before the telltale memory problems emerge.
A team from the University of Southern California and other institutions recently published a study in the journal Cerebral Cortex that sheds light on this troubling issue. Their findings reveal a connection between the thickness of a specific brain region called the entorhinal cortex and an individual’s perceived vulnerability to financial exploitation.
The entorhinal cortex, a small but crucial area of the brain, serves as a relay station between two other important regions: the hippocampus, which is vital for memory, and the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and planning. As we age, this area can start to thin out, especially in people who might be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, even if they don’t show any obvious symptoms yet.
In this study, the researchers found that older adults with a thinner entorhinal cortex were more likely to report feeling vulnerable to financial exploitation. This relationship was particularly strong in participants over 70 years-old. Interestingly, other brain areas typically associated with decision-making, such as the prefrontal cortex, didn’t show the same connection to financial vulnerability.
What does this mean for the average person?
Imagine your brain as a complex network of roads and highways. The entorhinal cortex is like a crucial interchange that connects the memory highway (hippocampus) with the decision-making expressway (prefrontal cortex). When this interchange starts to deteriorate, it becomes harder for information to flow smoothly between these two important areas. As a result, you might have trouble drawing on past experiences or envisioning future consequences when making financial decisions, leaving you more susceptible to scams or poor choices.
“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 Duke Han, professor of psychology and family medicine at USC Dornsife, in a university release.
While Prof. Han notes that financial vulnerability alone is not a definitive sign of Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline, “assessing FEV (Financial Exploitation Vulnerability) could become part of a broader risk profile.”
It’s important to mention that many factors can contribute to falling victim to scams, including social isolation, physical health issues, or an overall lack of financial knowledge. This study’s findings simply suggest that brain changes might be one piece of that puzzle.
For older adults and their families, this research underscores the importance of staying vigilant about financial decisions and being open to conversations about money management. It also highlights the need for healthcare providers to consider assessing financial vulnerability during routine check-ups, especially for patients over 70.
“Older adults who have concerns about a change in their ability to manage finances or make financial decisions can ask their doctor for a neuropsychological or neurological examination to determine the cause of this change,” Prof. Han tells StudyFinds in a statement.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The researchers used a powerful 7-Tesla MRI scanner to take detailed images of the brains of 97 older adults without any cognitive impairment. They measured the thickness of specific brain regions, including the entorhinal cortex. Participants also completed a questionnaire called the Perceived Financial Vulnerability Scale, which assessed their feelings of vulnerability to financial exploitation. The researchers then used statistical analyses to look for relationships between brain thickness and financial vulnerability, taking into account factors like age, sex, and education.
Key Results
The study found that people with a thinner entorhinal cortex reported feeling more vulnerable to financial exploitation. This relationship was stronger in participants over 70 years-old. Interestingly, the thickness of other brain areas typically associated with decision-making wasn’t related to financial vulnerability. The researchers also found that people who performed worse on a test of processing speed (how quickly they could complete a simple task) felt more financially vulnerable.
Study Limitations
First, most participants were White, female, and highly educated, which means the results might not apply to everyone. Second, the study only looked at one point in time, so we can’t say for sure that the brain changes caused the increased financial vulnerability. Finally, the study didn’t include specific measurements of Alzheimer’s disease markers in the brain, so we can’t be certain that the observed brain changes are related to Alzheimer’s rather than normal aging.
Discussion & Takeaways
The researchers suggest that thinning of the entorhinal cortex might disrupt communication between brain areas involved in memory and decision-making, making it harder for older adults to use past experiences when making financial choices. This could potentially increase their risk of falling for scams or making poor financial decisions. The study highlights the importance of assessing financial vulnerability in older adults as a possible early sign of cognitive decline. However, the researchers emphasize that feeling financially vulnerable doesn’t necessarily mean someone is developing Alzheimer’s disease, as many factors can contribute to this feeling.
Funding & Disclosures
The study was funded by several grants from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Some participants were recruited with help from the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry, which is supported by various organizations including the Alzheimer’s Association and the state of Arizona. The researchers declared no conflicts of interest.
