Prosocial capabilities in Alzheimer's patients

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Economics
• Gerontology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder impacting cognitive functions.
• Understanding the early effects of AD on social decision-making is crucial for patient care and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the decision-making capabilities of individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a social context.
• To assess the ability of AD patients to adhere to social norms and common social preferences.

Main Methods:

• A dictator game was employed, where participants decided on the allocation of a sum of money between themselves and another person.
• Participants included individuals diagnosed with Stage I (very mild and mild) Alzheimer's disease.
• Comparison groups consisted of individuals with mild cognitive impairment and healthy elderly controls matched for age and socio-economic background.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were observed in decision-making outcomes between early-stage AD patients and the control groups.
• The allocation patterns in the dictator game were comparable across all participant groups.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with Stage I Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit decision-making abilities regarding basic social norms and preferences comparable to their healthy peers.
• Early-stage AD does not appear to significantly impair the neural underpinnings of cooperation-enhancing social interactions.