RT Journal Article
T1 Awareness of Diagnosis in Persons with Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease: An Observational Study in Spain.
A1 Villarejo-Galende, Alberto
A1 GarcIa-Arcelay, Elena
A1 Piñol-Ripoll, Gerard
A1 Del Olmo-RodrIguez, Antonio
A1 Viñuela, Felix
A1 Boada, Merce
A1 Franco-Macias, Emilio
A1 de la Peña, Almudena Ibañez
A1 Riverol, Mario
A1 Puig-Pijoan, Albert
A1 Abizanda-Soler, Pedro
A1 Arroyo, Rafael
A1 Baquero-Toledo, Miquel
A1 Feria-Vilar, Inmaculada
A1 Balasa, Mircea
A1 Berbel, Angel
A1 Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Eloy
A1 Vieira-Campos, Alba
A1 Garcia-Ribas, Guillermo
A1 Rodrigo-Herrero, Silvia
A1 Lleo, Albert
A1 Maurino, Jorge
K1 Alzheimer’s disease
K1 Awareness
K1 Diagnosis
K1 Illness representation
K1 Quality of life
K1 Well-being
AB Limited information is available on people's experiences of living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at earlier stages. This study assessed awareness of diagnosis among people with early-stage AD and its impact on different person-centered outcome measures. We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study in 21 memory clinics in Spain. Persons aged 50-90 years, diagnosed with prodromal or mild AD (NIA/AA criteria), a Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 22, and a Clinical Dementia Rating-Global score (CDR-GS) of 0.5 or 1.0 were recruited. The Representations and Adjustment to Dementia Index (RADIX) was used to assess participants' beliefs about their condition and its consequences. A total of 149 persons with early-stage AD were studied. Mean (SD) age was 72.3 (7.0) years and 50.3% were female. Mean duration of AD was 1.4 (1.8) years. Mean MMSE score was 24.6 (2.1) and 87.2% had a CDR-GS score of 0.5. Most participants (n = 84, 57.5%) used a descriptive term related to specific AD symptoms (e.g., memory difficulties) when asked what they called their condition. Participants aware of their diagnosis using the term AD (n = 66, 45.2%) were younger, had more depressive symptoms, and poorer life satisfaction and quality of life compared to those without awareness of their specific diagnosis. Practical and emotional consequences RADIX scores showed a significant negative correlation with Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease score (rho = - 0.389 and - 0.413, respectively; p  Awareness of diagnosis was a common phenomenon in persons with early-stage AD negatively impacting their quality of life. Understanding illness representations in earlier stages may facilitate implementing optimized care that supports improved quality of life and well-being.
PB Springer Healthcare Communications Ltd.
SN 2193-8253
YR 2022
FD 2022-06-01
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/21496
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/21496
LA en
NO Villarejo-Galende A, García-Arcelay E, Piñol-Ripoll G, Del Olmo-Rodríguez A, Viñuela F, Boada M, et al. Awareness of Diagnosis in Persons with Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease: An Observational Study in Spain. Neurol Ther. 2022 Sep;11(3):1183-1192.
DS RISalud
RD Apr 10, 2025