Modelling Awareness in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

This study aimed to provide a model of awareness in Alzheimer's disease using the stage of the disease as a risk factor. Awareness was assessed using three methods (patient-caregiver discrepancy, prediction-performance discrepancy, clinical rating). Twenty-five healthy control subjects and sixty-one patients participated, with measures of cognition, apathy, depression, and awareness. These measures were introduced into a manual backward regression. Confounding factors impacting at least 15% of the exposure factor estimate were maintained in the model. Except for the prediction performance discrepancy, also presenting cognitive associations, the other awareness assessments suggested a major role of depression and apathy as impacting factors.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; apathy; awareness; depression.