A new study from researchers at University College London (UCL) shows that people with Alzheimer’s disease may keep their ability to feel empathy, even as other social skills decline. Empathy means being able to understand and share the feelings of others. This discovery offers a new and hopeful view of how Alzheimer’s affects social interaction.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It causes memory loss and affects thinking and behavior over time. People with this disease often have trouble with daily tasks and may become confused, forgetful, or withdrawn.
One area that has not been studied as deeply is how Alzheimer’s impacts a person’s social understanding—such as how well they recognize others’ emotions or respond to them.
In this new study, UCL scientists looked at how people with Alzheimer’s and people with mild cognitive impairment (a milder form of memory and thinking problems) handle social situations. Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, doesn’t yet stop people from doing daily activities, but it can be an early sign of dementia.
The researchers examined data from 28 studies that involved a total of 2,409 people. Some of these people had MCI, while others had more advanced dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and a type called frontotemporal dementia. These studies came from different countries and used various tests to measure social skills, including empathy.
One of the most important findings was that people with Alzheimer’s had more emotional empathy than those with mild cognitive impairment. This means they might still be able to feel and respond to others’ emotions, even if they struggle with memory or thinking.
In fact, in some cases, their emotional reactions to others were even stronger than usual, especially when faced with negative emotions. While this could be touching or helpful in some situations, it may also cause stress, because the person might feel overwhelmed without knowing how to cope.
The same group of people, however, did worse in other areas of social understanding. For example, they had more trouble recognizing facial expressions or understanding what someone else might be thinking. These abilities are known as “social cognition,” and they often decline as dementia progresses.
The lead researcher, Dr. Andrew Sommerlad, said that this is the first time a study has found a part of the brain’s social functioning that might improve during dementia.
He believes this discovery could lead to better ways of supporting people with Alzheimer’s. If their empathy remains strong, then caregivers and therapists could use that strength to help them stay connected with others.
The study’s first author, Puyu Shi, also pointed out that as people with dementia lose some social abilities, it can cause frustration for both them and their loved ones. Understanding which abilities decline and which ones stay strong could help families better care for their relatives and reduce feelings of loneliness.
The researchers say more studies are needed to follow people over time and see how their social abilities change, especially in people who are aging normally and those who are developing dementia. This would help doctors use social ability tests to diagnose and track the disease earlier and more accurately.
To sum up, the study shows that while people with Alzheimer’s lose some social skills, they might still hold onto their ability to feel for others. This could be used in therapy and care. It also reminds us that even in the middle of memory loss and confusion, a person’s heart may still be very much alive.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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