Risk-Taking Behavior Differs Between Older Adults with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Evaluating risk and decision-making is crucial for independent older adults, yet understudied in those with compromised cognition.
• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), particularly amnestic MCI (aMCI), is associated with an increased risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively evaluate risk-taking behaviors across essential daily activity domains in individuals with aMCI compared to cognitively healthy (HC) counterparts.
• To investigate the influence of confounding factors such as neurodegeneration, depression, and fatigue on risk-taking behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study design was employed.
• Risk-taking behaviors were assessed using the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking Scale (DOSPERT).
• Candidate confounding mental health factors (neurodegeneration, depression, fatigue) were collected and analyzed for group differences and interactions with risk-taking.

Main Results:

• Individuals with aMCI demonstrated a significantly higher likelihood of risk-taking compared to HC individuals (p < 0.001).
• Fatigue (p = 0.018) and depression (p = 0.037) significantly moderated the relationship between group status and overall risk-taking, while neurodegeneration did not.
• In healthy controls, fatigue and depression were associated with overall risk-taking, but this association was absent in the aMCI group.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive status significantly influences risk-taking behaviors in older adults.
• The findings suggest that cognitive function is essential for modulating risk-taking behaviors, as fatigue and depression affect decision-making in healthy individuals but not those with aMCI.