Financial Capacity and Illiteracy: Does Education Matter in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Abstract

Neuropsychological assessment in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) becomes complicated when education-literacy is taken into consideration. This study sought to explore the potential influence of literacy/illiteracy and education on financial capacity in patients with multiple-domain aMCI. Six groups consisting of aMCI (illiterate-no formal education, literate with low education, and literate with high education) and non-demented controls were examined. Literacy has an effect on financial capacity, as the illiterate aMCI group alone had the lowest scores in a financial capacity test resembling the performance of patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. In controls there was a similar pattern, but all three healthy groups regardless of education scored above the cut-off score for incapacity.