New study Finds Empathy May Persist in Alzheimer’s Patients.
A study by University College London suggests that people with Alzheimer’s may retain empathy despite losing other social skills.
The researchers found that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease had slightly higher empathy scores than those with mild cognitive impairment, despite performing worse in other areas of social cognition, like recognizing facial emotions and understanding others’ thoughts.
First Observation of Cognitive Domain Improvement in Dementia
The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, suggests that researchers may have observed an improvement in a cognitive domain for the first time in dementia.”
Dr. Andrew Sommerlad, the lead author from UCL Psychiatry, noted, “We found strong evidence that emotional empathy in people with Alzheimer’s disease is preserved or possibly even enhanced compared to those in earlier stages of cognitive decline.”
He added, “This discovery could provide an opportunity for researchers and healthcare providers to use these empathy skills in psychological support for people with Alzheimer’s, helping them to foster and maintain social connections.”
The study authors analyzed data from 28 global studies, encompassing 2,409 participants with either mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Mild cognitive impairment is a condition characterized by cognitive decline beyond what is expected for someone’s age but not yet impacting daily activities.
Decline in Emotion Recognition and Cognitive Understanding in Dementia
The researchers found consistent evidence of a progressive decline in the ability of individuals with dementia to recognize facial emotions and understand others’ thought processes. Those with Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia performed worse than those with mild cognitive impairment in these areas.
Puyu Shi, the study’s first author from UCL Psychiatry, explained, “Impairments in social cognition in people with dementia often lead to difficulties in understanding others’ intentions and emotions, as well as responding appropriately in social situations. This can cause distress for both patients and caregivers and may contribute to increased loneliness among people with dementia.”
Shi said, “Families of those with dementia need support to understand and adapt to behavioral changes.”
Interestingly, the researchers also found weak evidence suggesting higher emotional empathy in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease compared to those with mild cognitive impairment.
Emotional Reactivity in Alzheimer’s Disease and Its Impact on Emotional Regulation
Among the studies analyzed, the one with the largest effect size for emotional empathy found that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease showed increased emotional reactivity to negative emotions. The researchers suggest that this heightened emotional response may contribute to the emotional regulation difficulties Alzheimer’s patients face as they lose other cognitive coping abilities.
The researchers also note that additional longitudinal studies are necessary to observe how empathy and other social skills evolve over time in both healthy older adults without cognitive impairment and those with dementia. This will help improve understanding of how social cognition measures could aid in diagnosing and monitoring dementia. Puyu Shi’s Ph.D. research in the UCL Division of Psychiatry will explore these issues in greater depth.
Dr. Sommerlad emphasized the need for better tests to detect social cognitive impairments, aiding diagnosis and potentially predicting cognitive decline.
Read the original article on: MedicalXpress
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