Spared and impaired abilities in community-dwelling patients entering the severe stage of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Background: Comprehensive geriatric assessments of patients entering the severe stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are scarce.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 126 patients entering the severe stage of AD in the longitudinal study of REAL.FR cohort. Patients who had a first MMSE score <10 during follow-up underwent cognitive, behavioral, nutritional and functional assessment. Support requirements were also evaluated.

Results: The best-preserved cognitive abilities were social interaction and response to own name, while praxis, orientation, memory and language showed the largest declines. Regarding independence in daily living, locomotion was best preserved (71% of patients independent) while personal hygiene deteriorated most (15.5%). Behavioral disorders were frequent, and consisted principally of apathy, aberrant motor behavior, and agitation. The Mini Nutritional Assessment showed that 68.5% of patients were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. Caregiver burden remained mild to moderate in 69.8% of cases. In addition, 80% of patients still lived at home and 71.6% used at least 2 support services, consisting mainly of physician visits and home help.

Conclusion: Assessment of remaining cognitive, functional abilities and behavioral disorders at entry to severe AD should help to improve targeted management aimed at preserving these abilities and treating complications, thereby optimizing these patients' quality of life.