Financial literacy is associated with medial brain region functional connectivity in old age

Abstract

Financial literacy refers to the ability to access and utilize financial information in ways that promote better outcomes. In old age, financial literacy has been associated with a wide range of positive characteristics; however, the neural correlates remain unclear. Recent work has suggested greater co-activity between anterior-posterior medial brain regions is associated with better brain functioning. We hypothesized financial literacy would be associated with this pattern. We assessed whole-brain functional connectivity to a posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) seed region of interest (ROI) in 138 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Results revealed financial literacy was associated with greater functional connectivity between the PCC and three regions: the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), the left postcentral gyrus, and the right precuneus. Results also revealed financial literacy was associated negatively with functional connectivity between the PCC and left caudate. Post hoc analyses showed the PCC-vmPFC relationship accounted for the most variance in a regression model adjusted for all four significant functional connectivity relationships, demographic factors, and global cognition. These findings provide information on the neural mechanisms associated with financial literacy in old age.

Keywords: Aging; Financial literacy; Functional connectivity; Posterior cingulate; Ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

Figure 1

Functionally connected clusters associated with financial literacy after adjusting for age, education, sex, and global cognition, as indicated by a seed region of interest (ROI) prescribed in the posterior cingulate cortex. Seed ROI MNI coordinates: x = 0, y = -53, z = 26; radius = 4 mm; voxel p < 0.004; cluster size > 39 voxels. Corrected for multiple comparisons using AlphaSim Monte Carlo simulations at a cluster level threshold of p<0.05. Values shown in scale correspond to t-scores.

Figure 2

Functionally connected clusters associated with financial literacy after adjusting for age, education, sex, and global cognition, as indicated by a seed region of interest (ROI) prescribed in the posterior cingulate cortex. Seed ROI MNI coordinates: x = 0, y = -53, z = 26; radius = 4 mm; voxel p < 0.004. Corrected for multiple comparisons using AlphaSim Monte Carlo simulations at a cluster level threshold of p<0.0002 (cluster size > 75 voxels). Values shown in scale correspond to t-scores.

Figure 3

Scatterplot of financial literacy percentage correct and Fisher’s z-transformed functional connectivity values between the seed region of interest (ROI) in the posterior cingulate cortex (MNI coordinates: x = 0, y = -53, z = 26; radius = 4 mm) and maximum intensity voxels in the (a) right ventromedial prefrontal cortex cluster, (b) left caudate cluster, (c) left postcentral gyrus, and (d) right precuneus cluster.