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Villarejo-Galende A, García-Arcelay E, Piñol-Ripoll G, del Olmo-Rodríguez A, Viñuela F, Boada M, Franco-Macías E, Ibañez de la Peña A, Riverol M, Puig-Pijoan A, Abizanda-Soler P, Arroyo R, Baquero-Toledo M, Feria-Vilar I, Balasa M, Berbel Á, Rodríguez-Rodríguez E, Vieira-Campos A, Garcia-Ribas G, Rodrigo-Herrero S, Lleó A, Maurino J. Medical help-seeking intentions among patients with early Alzheimer's disease. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1290002. [PMID: 38173708 PMCID: PMC10762795 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1290002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Limited information is available on the active process of seeking medical help in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at early stages. The aim of this study was to assess the phenomenon of medical help-seeking in early AD and to identify associated factors. Methods A multicenter, non-interventional study was conducted including patients of 50-90 years of age with prodromal or mild AD (National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer's Association criteria), a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 22, and a Clinical Dementia Rating-Global score (CDR-GS) of 0.5-1.0. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results A total of 149 patients were included. Mean age (SD) was 72.3 (7.0) years, 50.3% were female, and 87.2% had a CDR-GS score of 0.5. Mean disease duration was 1.4 (1.8) years. Ninety-four (63.1%) patients sought medical help, mostly from neurologists. Patients with help-seeking intentions were mostly female (60.6%) with a CDR-GS score of 0.5 (91.5%) and had a greater awareness of diagnosis, poorer quality of life, more depressive symptoms, and a more severe perception of their condition than their counterparts. Lack of help-seeking intentions was associated with male sex (p = 0.003), fewer years of education (p = 0.005), a low awareness of diagnosis (p = 0.005), and a low emotional consequence of the condition (p = 0.016). Conclusion Understanding the phenomenon of active medical help-seeking may facilitate the design of specific strategies to improve the detection of cognitive impairment, especially in patients with a lower level of educational attainment and poor awareness of their condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Villarejo-Galende
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Imas12, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Gerard Piñol-Ripoll
- Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Universitari Santa Maria de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | | | - Félix Viñuela
- Cognitive Impairment Unit, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain
| | - Mercè Boada
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emilio Franco-Macías
- Dementia Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Mario Riverol
- Department of Neurology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Albert Puig-Pijoan
- Cognitive Impairment and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Abizanda-Soler
- Department of Geriatrics, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Albacete, Spain
| | - Rafael Arroyo
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Baquero-Toledo
- Grup d'Investigació en Malaltia d'Alzheimer, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Feria-Vilar
- Department of Neurology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Albacete, Spain
| | - Mircea Balasa
- Unit of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ángel Berbel
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eloy Rodríguez-Rodríguez
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Alba Vieira-Campos
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Silvia Rodrigo-Herrero
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Juan Ramón Jiménez, Huelva, Spain
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
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Zhang Q, Deng J, Luo H, Wang L. Senile dementia and psychiatric stigma among community health service providers and relatives of diagnosed and suspected dementia patients: a cross-sectional study. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14613. [PMID: 36647450 PMCID: PMC9840390 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The number of people suffering from dementia is increasing rapidly in China. Early identification, referral, and intervention for dementia patients within communities are important to public health. However, these measures could be impacted by misconceptions about dementia and associated psychiatric stigma from community health professionals and relatives of dementia patients. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 249 participants, which included community doctors, community nurses, and relatives of diagnosed and suspected dementia patients in Guiyang, China. Participants were recruited through convenient sampling. The Chinese version of Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) and the Perceived Psychiatric Stigma Scale (PPSS) were used to evaluate the participants' knowledge of dementia and dementia-related psychiatric stigma. Results A total of 249 participants completed the questionnaire. The participants had moderate overall knowledge of dementia and the associated psychiatric stigma. Participants who were ≥45 years old, had a low level of education, had a low monthly income, or gained knowledge of dementia through non-media channels had lower awareness of dementia and stronger psychiatric stigma. In the "Communication & behavior" subscale of DKAS, all participants had a low level of awareness. Relatives of diagnosed and suspected dementia patients had higher total PPSS and "Marital preclusion" subscale scores than community doctors and nurses but lower psychiatric stigma based on the PPSS "Self-deprecation" subscale score. Conclusions Despite their profession, community doctors and nurses did not show an absolute advantage over relatives of diagnosed and suspected dementia patients in the dementia knowledge, and they even showed higher psychiatric stigma in some subscales. The self-deprecation subscale is related to the identification with negative labels such as "people with a mental illness are the weak". This study shows that reducing stigma on the "Self-deprecation" subscale should be a core component of training and educational programs targeted at improving dementia knowledge among community health service providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Zhang
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, The Second People’s Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jing Deng
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second People’s Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Huanyue Luo
- Department of VIP Clinic, The Second People’s Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, The Second People’s Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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Saposnik G, Ismail Z, Rivard AM, Knifton D, Bromfield G, Terzaghi M, Montoya A, Menard MC. Decision making under uncertainty in the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's Disease in primary care: A study protocol applying concepts from neuroeconomics. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:997277. [DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.997277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe current management of patients with Dementia, primarily with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is rapidly evolving. However, limited information is available about the current gaps and decision-making in primary care.ObjectivesTo evaluate factors associated with gaps, risk preferences regarding diagnostic and therapeutic choices in the management of patients with AD by primary care physicians (PCP) from across Canada.MethodsWe propose a non-interventional, cross-sectional pilot study involving 120 primary care physicians referred from the College of Family Physicians of Canada to assess diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in the management of ten simulated AD-related case-scenarios commonly encountered in clinical practice. We initially describe the current landscape and gaps regarding diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the management of patients with AD in primary care. Then, we provide concepts from behavioral economics and neuroeconomics applied to medical decision-making. Specifically, we include standardized tests to measure risk aversion, physicians' reactions to uncertainty, and questions related to risk preferences in different domains. Finally, we summarize the protocol to be implemented to address our goals. The primary study outcome is the proportion of participants that elect to defer initial investigations to the specialist and the associated factors. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of PCP willing to order cerebral spinal fluid studies, PET scans, or initiate treatment according to the simulated case-scenarios. The study will be conducted in English and French.ConclusionsThe study findings will contribute a better understanding of relevant factors associated with diagnostic and therapeutic decisions of PCP in the management of AD, identifying participant's preferences and evaluating the role of behavioral aspects such tolerance to uncertainty, aversion to ambiguity, and therapeutic inertia.
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Villarejo-Galende A, García-Arcelay E, Piñol-Ripoll G, del Olmo-Rodríguez A, Viñuela F, Boada M, Franco-Macías E, Ibañez de la Peña A, Riverol M, Puig-Pijoan A, Abizanda-Soler P, Arroyo R, Baquero-Toledo M, Feria-Vilar I, Balasa M, Berbel Á, Rodríguez-Rodríguez E, Vieira-Campos A, García-Ribas G, Rodrigo-Herrero S, Terrancle Á, Prefasi D, Lleó A, Maurino J. Quality of Life and the Experience of Living with Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 90:719-726. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-220696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: There is a need to better understand the experience of patients living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the early stages. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the perception of quality of life in patients with early-stage AD. Methods: A multicenter, non-interventional study was conducted including patients of 50–90 years of age with prodromal or mild AD, a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥22, and a Clinical Dementia Rating-Global score (CDR-GS) of 0.5.–1.0. The Quality of Life in Alzheimer ’s Disease (QoL-AD) questionnaire was used to assess health-related quality of life. A battery of self-report instruments was used to evaluate different psychological and behavioral domains. Associations between the QoL-AD and other outcome measures were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlations. Results: A total of 149 patients were included. Mean age (SD) was 72.3 (7.0) years and mean disease duration was 1.4 (1.8) years. Mean MMSE score was 24.6 (2.1). The mean QoL-AD score was 37.9 (4.5). Eighty-three percent (n = 124) of patients had moderate-to-severe hopelessness, 22.1% (n = 33) had depressive symptoms, and 36.9% (n = 55) felt stigmatized. The quality of life showed a significant positive correlation with self-efficacy and negative correlations with depression, emotional and practical consequences, stigma, and hopelessness. Conclusion: Stigma, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness are frequent scenarios in AD negatively impacting quality of life, even in a population with short disease duration and minimal cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Villarejo-Galende
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (I+12), Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Gerard Piñol-Ripoll
- Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Universitari Santa Maria de Lleida, Institut de Recerca Biomédica de Lleida (IRBLLeida), Lleida, Spain
| | | | - Félix Viñuela
- Instituto Neurológico Andaluz, Hospital Victoria Eugenia, Unidad Deterioro Cognitivo, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Mercè Boada
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emilio Franco-Macías
- Dementia Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Mario Riverol
- Department of Neurology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Albert Puig-Pijoan
- Cognitive Impairment and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital del Mar, Hospital Del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Abizanda-Soler
- Department of Geriatrics, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Albacete, Spain
| | - Rafael Arroyo
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Baquero-Toledo
- Grup d’Investigació en Malaltia d’Alzheimer, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Institut d’Investigació Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Feria-Vilar
- Department of Neurology, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Albacete, Spain
| | - Mircea Balasa
- Alzheimer’s Disease and other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ángel Berbel
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eloy Rodríguez-Rodríguez
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de Marqués de Valdecilla, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Alba Vieira-Campos
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo García-Ribas
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (I+12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Rodrigo-Herrero
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (I+12), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Alberto Lleó
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (I+12), Madrid, Spain
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Neter E, Chachashvili-Bolotin S. Ethnic Differences in Attitudes and Preventive Behaviors Related to Alzheimer's Disease in the Israeli Survey of Aging. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:9705. [PMID: 35955061 PMCID: PMC9368437 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine ethnic differences in attitudes and preventive behaviors related to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in Israel. METHODS A household representative sample included 1198 older adults (M age = 70.78, SD = 9.64) who participated in the Israeli branch of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel), collected during 2015 and 2017. Descriptions of the groups (long term Israeli Jews (LTIJ), immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Palestinian Citizens of Israel (PCI)) were computed, and hierarchical regressions tested whether group differences were maintained after controlling for demographic, human and economic resources, Internet use, and AD familiarity. RESULTS Attitudes towards AD were the most negative among FSU and more accepting among PCI while AD-related preventive behaviors were highest among FSU, lowest among PCI, with LTIJ between them. After including demographic, human and economic resources, and familiarity with AD, differences in AD-preventive behaviors significantly decreased. In contrast, differences in attitudes among the groups remained stable even after other variables were accounted for, so that PCI were the most accepting and FSU manifested greatest avoidance of contact with persons with AD. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide directions for culturally sensitive psycho-educational and other interventions for both the public and healthcare providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efrat Neter
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer 4025000, Israel
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Garcia-Ribas G, García-Arcelay E, Montoya A, Maurino J, Ballesteros J. Quantifying Knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease: An Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale. Neurol Ther 2021; 10:213-224. [PMID: 33512697 PMCID: PMC8139996 DOI: 10.1007/s40120-021-00230-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) is one of the most popular instruments for assessing a person’s knowledge regarding Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The objective of this study was to explore ADKS item characteristics with item response theory (IRT) procedures. Methods A noninterventional web-based study was conducted. A nonparametric IRT procedure, Mokken analysis, was used to explore the underlying latent structure of the ADKS and ADKS item characteristics regarding scalability and violations of the monotone homogeneity (MH) model. A random-effects meta-analysis was implemented that combined ADKS scores from independent studies. Results A total of 447 employees of a pharmaceutical company participated in the study. The mean ADKS score was 21.2 (SD 2.8). Mokken analysis showed that most ADKS items (22 of 30) do not fit to any scale and can be considered to be scale independent. Two items (#1: particularly prone to depression; #20: depression can be mistaken for AD) fit to a domain relating to depression, another two items (#2: mental exercise can prevent AD development; #8: benefit of psychotherapy) can be related to potential prevention and improvement, and four items (#12: poor nutrition can make the symptoms worse; #18: high cholesterol may increase the risk of AD; #26: high blood pressure may increase the risk of AD; #27: genes can only partially account for AD development) fit to a risk factor domain. As expected from those results, neither the overall scale (H = 0.033) nor its items showed appropriate scalability index values, suggesting that ADKS does not fit to a MH model. Eleven items showed violations of the assumptions of the MH model. The meta-analytical average score was 21.78 (95% CI 20.67–22.90), with healthcare professionals and caregivers showing the highest levels of AD knowledge. Conclusion Although the ADKS does not present a unidimensional structure, its independent items together provide a comprehensive spectrum of information regarding AD knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alonso Montoya
- Medical Affairs, Neuroscience, Hoffmann-La Roche Limited, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | | | - Javier Ballesteros
- Department of Neurosciences and CIBERSAM, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
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