Poor money management may indicate dementia

Lack of financial overview m age a note on dementia

Many probably know the Situation when older people are not able to draw on the Fund of the amount to be paid independently from your wallet, because they simply have problems to add up the individual totals of coins and Notes. According to a recent study, such difficulties in dealing with money could also be a reference to a dementia disease.

Many people keep difficulties, the Overview of your finances, which does not necessarily have to be a disease of the back. But when older people develop increasing problems in dealing with money, should be your environment. According to a recent study by researchers at the Duke University estate is at the end of the financial overview is often reference to the development of a dementia disease. Was published the study in the “Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease”.

A decline in the financial overview and difficulties in dealing with money can indicate the development of dementia. (Image: Bits and Splits/fotolia.com)

Bad financial overview of possible harbinger of dementia

Older people often develop problems in managing their finances, whether it is in the calculation of the amount of the cash payment to the Fund or in the management of your account, and the payment of invoices. “These changes also occur in adults who are cognitively healthy, the Problem with the money deal but it can also be a harbinger of dementia,” write the researchers in a press release, Duke University.

Connection with the formation of protein deposits studied

“There was the misconception that financial difficulties only occur in the late stages of dementia, but however, this can happen early, and the changes can be subtle,” says Professor P. Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University. On the basis of 243 adults aged 55 to 90 years, the researchers in the current study, we examined whether the financial abilities subside with the buildup of harmful proteins (called Beta-Amyloid Plaques) in the brain. The protein deposits are considered to be a significant factor in the development of dementia.

Test the financial skills

The Tests revealed that certain financial skills, decreases with age, and in the earliest stages of a slight memory disorder, report researchers. The decline has been similar in men and women. Also taking into account factors such as education and other demographic characteristics of a Person’s ability to understand basic financial concepts and apply or tasks, such as Calculating an account balance to bring clearly with the protein deposits in context, it is. The skills were the worse, the more Amyloid Plaques-were deposits, explain the researchers.

Early changes in the detectable

So far, most of the Tests focus on early detection of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease on memory and direct investigations of the brain. However, an assessment of the skills in dealing with money could possibly be significantly more statements and he would be in about 20 minutes, the main author of the current study, Sierra Tolbert. “If the score of a Person is reduced, this could be a warning sign,” emphasizes the expert. Even small changes could be detected when the Test is carried out regularly. The better we understand the financial decision-making capacity of adults, and how these are with age can change, the better it could be used.

Old people possess most of the financial assets

Also, it is important to remember that older adults in most of the countries have a disproportionate interest in the asset and in here of an imminent increase in dementia diseases dramatic effects. For example, Sufferers are particularly susceptible to special mesh of financial fraud and to facilitate quickly to large parts of their assets or their pension. When old people in the personal environment of increasing difficulties with the financial overview, you should take this, in any case, the occasion of a visit to the doctor to initiate, and also to the suspicion of a dementia disease indications. (fp)