Quality of Life and Cholinesterase Inhibitors: A Qualitative Study of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Their Carers

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 433-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany Smith ◽  
Anna Chur-Hansen ◽  
Alice Neale ◽  
Jonathon Symon
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Cholinesterase Inhibitors ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Level Of Functioning ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: Cholinesterase inhibitors’ (ChEIs) impact on cognitive functioning in Alzheimer's disease has been extensively researched. The effect of ChEIs on improving day-to-day living and quality of life in conjunction with level of functioning for patients or their carers has not been investigated. Method: Five spouse dyads (patient and carer) and one additional carer were interviewed about their perceptions of ChEIs in relation to their influence on daily life for both parties. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis conducted. Results: Themes identified were forgetfulness, differences in long-term versus short-term memory, independence/dependence, negative emotion, no appreciable benefit, sense of hopelessness, carer as motivator, stabilization of the patient, and never regain what has been lost. Conclusions: This study suggests that ChEI medication does not enhance life for the patient or their primary caregiver. Further qualitative and quantitative research is required into the impact of ChEIs upon both the patient and their caregivers.

CLINICAL AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DONEPEZIL, RIVASTIGMINE, AND GALANTAMINE FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Clegg ◽  
Jackie Bryant ◽  
Tricia Nicholson ◽  
Linda McIntyre ◽  
Sofie De Broe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health Cognition ◽  
Economic Studies

Objectives: Systematic review of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.Methods: Sixteen electronic databases (including MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and Embase) and bibliographies of related papers were searched for published/unpublished English language studies, and experts and pharmaceutical companies were consulted for additional information. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and economic studies were selected. Clinical effectiveness was assessed on measurement scales assessing progression of Alzheimer's disease on the person's global health, cognition, functional ability, behavior and mood, and quality of life. Cost-effectiveness was presented as incremental cost per year spent in a nonsevere state (by Mini Mental Health State Examination) or quality-adjusted life-year.Results: Twelve of 15 RCTs included were judged to be of good quality. Although donepezil had beneficial effects in Alzheimer's patients on global health and cognition, rivastigmine on global health, and galantamine on global health, cognition, and functional scales, these improvements were small and may not be clinically significant. Measures of quality of life and behavior and mood were rarely assessed. Adverse effects were usually mild and transient. Cost-effectiveness base case estimates ranged from £2,415 savings to £49,476 additional cost (1997 prices) per unit of effect for donepezil and a small savings for rivastigmine. Estimates were not considered robust or generalizable.Conclusions: Donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine appear to have some clinical effect for people with Alzheimer's disease, although the extent to which these translate into real differences in everyday life remains unclear. Due to the nature of current economic studies, cost-effectiveness remains uncertain and the impact on different care sectors has been inadequately investigated. Further research is needed to establish the actual benefits of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEls) for people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers, the relationship of these changes to clinical management, and careful prospective evaluation of resource and budgetary consequences.

scholarly journals Impact of the Severity of Alzheimer’s Disease on the Quality of Life, Activities of Daily Living, and Caregiving Costs for Institutionalized Patients on Anti-Alzheimer Medications in Japan

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Takumi Ashizawa ◽  
Ataru Igarashi ◽  
Yukinori Sakata ◽  
Mie Azuma ◽  
Kenichi Fujimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Institutionalized Patients ◽  
The Impact

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) increases societal costs and decreases the activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QoL) of the affected individuals. Objective: We assess the impact of AD severity on ADL, QoL, and caregiving costs in Japanese facilities for the elderly. Methods: Patients with AD in facilities for the elderly were included (47 facilities, N = 3,461). The QoL, ADL, and disease severity of patients were assessed using Barthel Index (BI), EuroQoL-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), respectively. Annual caregiving costs were estimated using patients’ claims data. The patients were subcategorized into the following three groups according to the MMSE score: mild (21≤MMSE≤30), moderate (11≤MMSE≤20), and severe (0≤MMSE≤10). Changes among the three groups were evaluated using the Jonckheere-Terpstra test. Results: Four hundred and one participants were on anti-AD medicines, of whom 287 (age: 86.1±6.4 years, 76.7% women) in the mild (n = 53, 84.0±6.9 years, 71.7%), moderate (n = 118, 86.6±5.9 years, 76.3%), and severe (n = 116, 86.6±6.5 years, 79.3%) groups completed the study questionnaires. The mean BI and EQ-5D-5L scores for each group were 83.6, 65.1, and 32.8 and 0.801, 0.662, and 0.436, respectively. The mean annual caregiving costs were 2.111, 2.470, and 2.809 million JPY, respectively. As AD worsened, the BI and EQ-5D-5L scores decreased and annual caregiving costs increased significantly. Conclusion: AD severity has an impact on QoL, ADL, and caregiving costs.

scholarly journals Impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the quality of life and daily activities of the elderly

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Sutherland W. Rizziolli ◽  
Ana Maria Ramos Miranda ◽  
Andressa Schimidt do Nascimento ◽  
Cristiane dos Santos Lima ◽  
Jade Menezes Maia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: With the increase in life expectancy, there is an increase in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Characterized by being a degenerative and irreversible neurological disease, that leads to developing a dependence for daily activities. Objective:To analyze the impact of AD on the quality of life and daily activities of the elderly. Methodology:Integrative literature review, with bibliographic survey carried out on an international basis (PUBMED). Criteria for the selection of articles was: be published in English, in the period 2018-2020, available in full, whose theme was “Impacts on the quality of life that AD causes in the elderly”. Results: For the sample of this review 59 articles were selected, of which 48 articles were not specific to the topic, leaving a final sample of 11 articles included in the review. Identifying that AD has a strong impact on patient’s quality of life, such as reduced autonomy and dependence on daily activities. Conclusion: It was observed that there is a reduction in the quality of life of patients with AD, related to loss of autonomy and dependence in daily activities. Mesh- Terms: Degenerative Disease, Aged, Insanity.

scholarly journals Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as an Add-On Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease and Its Impact on Self-Rated Quality of Life and Caregiver’s Burden

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 740
Author(s):  
Juliana Teti Mayer ◽  
Caroline Masse ◽  
Gilles Chopard ◽  
Magali Nicolier ◽  
Matthieu Bereau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
The Impact

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with progressive memory loss and decline in executive functions, as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms. Patients usually consider quality of life (QoL) and mood as more important for their health status than disease-specific physical and mental symptoms. In this open-label uncontrolled trial, 12 subjects diagnosed with AD underwent 10 sessions of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (10 Hz, 20 min, 2000 pulses/day, 110% MT). Outcomes were measured before and 30 days after treatment. Our primary objective was to test the efficacy of rTMS as an add-on treatment for AD on the global cognitive function, assessed through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS). As secondary objectives, the detailed effect on cognitive functions, depression and anxiety symptoms, QoL, and functionality in daily life activities were evaluated, as well as correlations between QoL and cognition, depression and anxiety scores. The treatment significantly enhanced semantic memory and reduced anxiety. Improvement of these features in AD could become an important target for treatment strategies. Although limited by its design, this trial may contribute with another perspective on the analysis and the impact of rTMS on AD.

scholarly journals CAN CONTINUOUS, INTER-GENERATIONAL COOPERATION POSITIVELY IMPACT? FINAL RESULT

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
R. Rokkaku ◽  
A. Homma ◽  
S. Kobayashi ◽  
Y. Seki
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Intergenerational Cooperation ◽  
The Impact

An aim of the present study is to examine the impact of inter-generational cooperation on the quality of life of elderly Alzheimer’s sufferers. The study is a continuing, two-year intervention report. The subject consist of an intervention and a control groups of six and five sufferers, respectively, who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Both groups attend day care services. The intervention group participates in the inter-generational program with children, while the control group does not. In the results, the score of Quality of Life – Alzheimer’s disease (QOL-AD ) of the subjects has been significantly higher in the intervention group comparing with that of the control group. been significantly higher in the intervention group comparing with that of the control group. Also the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Affect Rating Scale(PGC-ARS), have been significantly higher in the intervention group those in the control group., The magnitude of the change was not so remarkable as to influence QOL-AD at home. The present intergenerational cooperation may improve the quality of life of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s sufferers.

Measuring the impact on relatives of caring for people with Alzheimer's disease: Quality of life, burden and well-being

1999 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Coen ◽  
Ciaran A. O'boyle ◽  
Gregory R.J. Swanwick ◽  
Davis Coakley
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Impact
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