Giving Away Money is a Possible Sign of Dementia, New Research Finds

Giving Away Money is a Possible Sign of Dementia, New Research Finds

You know what they say: money won’t buy you happiness. Maybe it’s true, but their absence can surely bring a lot of misery. Therefore, it’s as natural as possible to do our best not to give money away too easily, even in our society where you constantly need them.

According to Daily Mail, a new study by researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles finds that if an elderly person is too generous when it comes to giving money away to an unknown person, that could be an early sign of dementia. Cognitive tests revealed that these folks obtained worse results than those who aren’t such generous. They are even at the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, meaning the most common form of dementia.

67 elderly participants were assessed

For the new research, 67 individuals about the age of 70 participated. Researchers assessed how these people behaved when it came to handling money between themselves and other people they were meeting for the first time. Besides this situation, neurological tests were also given to the participants.

Dr. Duke Han, leader of the research and a neuropsychology professor, stated as Daily Mail quotes:

Trouble handling money is thought to be one of the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, and this finding supports that notion.

If you still don’t trust the new study enough, check out what Dr. Gali Weissberger from Bar-Ilan University in Israel has to say, as the same source quotes:

To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the relationship using a behavioral economics paradigm, meaning a scenario where participants had to make decisions about giving or keeping actual money.

You can find out more about the new study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, where it has been published.

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