Empathy and Alzheimer's

          In our fast paced world today, it is difficult to believe in the apparent empathy of those strangers around us. Walking down Michigan Avenue, I have seen many people react to the empathy others have had for them, most probably out of suspicion which can arise for many reasons: crime rate, a tourist defense mechanism or sheer disregard of the fact others can be empathetic to strangers. Dr. Decety spoke about empathy in his lecture at the neuroscience seminar course at Loyola University Chicago and there he touched on the developmental aspects of empathy. Dr. Decety noted the prefrontal regions were involved in the control and response to inhibition of one’s empathy as they age. A recent study expanded on this in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients; specifically, how do AD patients experience empathy differently than any other individual. The correlating point in both papers was strong, in that there is a high developmental trend in strengthening empathy. It was observed among AD patients, who had answered questions regarding their various feelings in an interview, similar levels of empathy; so long as the emotions were consistent throughout the interview and presented unambiguously. When the emotions varied and were expressed in different tones throughout the interview, the AD patients exhibited far less empathy relative to the average individual.

            From this data, it can be observed that cognitive control in the prefrontal regions in normal individuals when compared to those with frontotemporal dementia AD patients, though developmentally linked, is strongly affects by the amyloid built up present in Alzheimer’s disease. Yet the rigid developmental correlation is not overcome by AD when strong, clear emotions are expressed. The underlying details which connect our many regulatory networks and how they relate in times of high stress or disease, such as Alzhemier’s, is marvelous in that our unique developmental trends are not completely disregarded. I would be interested in researching further how the dementia observed in AD prevents proper empathetic connections in its patients across genders and ranges of ages.

References: 

Decety, Jean, and Margarita Svetlova. "Putting Together Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic Perspectives on Empathy." Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (2011): n. pag. Print.

Diego Fernandex-Duque. "Empathy in frontotempoeral dementia and Alzheimer's disease." Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology (2010)