Cognitive functioning predicts vulnerability to financial exploitation in APOE e4 carriers

An emerging body of work suggests that financial exploitation vulnerability (FEV) may be an early marker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We examined how APOE e4 genotype and cognition at baseline interact to predict subsequent FEV one year later. Participants were 95 older adults without dementia aged 50 or older (M age = 69.09, SD = 7.51; 72.63 % female; 72.63 % White non-Hispanic). Participants completed two annual assessments that included comprehensive neuropsychological testing and a measure of FEV. Saliva samples for APOE genotyping were collected. Linear regression models regressed Year 2 FEV on APOE, global cognition, and their interaction. Age, sex, education, and Year 1 FEV scores were covaried. Models were re-run considering cognitive domains separately (memory, language, and attention/working memory and executive functioning). Main effects of APOE and cognition were not found. However, cognition and APOE status interacted to predict Year 2 FEV. Specifically, worse cognitive functioning predicted higher FEV only for e4 carriers. Cognitive domain analyses revealed more nuanced relationships. Findings suggest that cognition is a relevant risk factor of FEV for e4 carriers, and support the emerging idea that FEV may be an early marker of AD-related neuropathological changes.