Background: The National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease (AD) prioritizes timely diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as one of its key goals. Studies describing the downstream consequences of not having a timely diagnosis in this vulnerable population are limited. The study objective will evaluate the relationship between a timely MCI diagnosis and decline in functional outcomes compared to a missed diagnosis.
Method: This observational study utilizes 2008-2020 data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a longitudinal panel study that surveys a representative sample of 20,000 people age >50 years in the US every 2 years. Our study is research in progress; final data will extend through 2022. Cognition was assessed by a validated tool, Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). A timely diagnosis of MCI is defined as a self or proxy report of a healthcare provider diagnosis in the HRS within 2 years of an MCI-qualifying score on the TICS. Survival analyses will be used to assess longitudinal change every two years between diagnosed and missed diagnosis groups.
Result: Preliminary analyses identified a study population of 4712 patients with an MCI-qualifying score; 303 (6.4%) reported a timely MCI diagnosis. Ongoing analyses will shed light on the impact of a timely MCI diagnosis on functional outcomes.
Conclusion: Final analyses will clarify results and provide an indication of the impact of a timely MCI diagnosis on functional outcomes.
© 2024 The Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.