Financial capacity in frontotemporal dementia and related presentations

Abstract

Background: Changes in financial judgement and skills can herald a neurodegenerative dementia and are a common reason for referral for cognitive neurologic assessment. However, patients with neurodegenerative diseases affecting the frontal or temporal lobes may perform well on standard cognitive tests, complicating clinical determinations about their diagnosis and financial capacity. Methods: Forty-five patients with possible or probable FTD or Alzheimer’s disease and 22 healthy controls completed two financial assessment batteries, the FACT and the FCAI. Patients’ performance was compared to study partner estimates of patients’ financial abilities. Results: All three patient groups performed worse than controls on both the FACT and the FCAI. Study partners over-estimated the performance of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Conclusions: These initial findings suggest that accurate clinical assessment of financial skills and judgement in patients with possible neurodegenerative dementias requires performance-based assessment.