Disclosure of elevated amyloid status is not associated with long-term suicidality in a preclinical AD trial

The long-term implications of disclosing Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker information to cognitively unimpaired individuals are unknown.

We compared participants who disclosed their elevated amyloid imaging result in a preclinical AD trial to those who disclosed a not elevated result and enrolled in an observational cohort that underwent parallel assessments. Our primary outcome was a score > 0 on the Columbia Suicidality Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS) at any visit; we also considered suicidal behaviors (CSSRS > 5).

Among 1707 total participants (68% elevated amyloid, mean [standard deviation] age 71.5 [4.7], 60% female, 90% non-Hispanic White), followed for a mean 218 (74.1) weeks, there were no suicides and few indications of suicidal thoughts (n = 124 [7%]) or behaviors (n = 13 [<1%]). In a generalized estimating equation model controlling for covariates, we observed no effect of amyloid status on the primary outcome of CSSRS > 0 (odds ratio = 1.6, 95% confidence interval = 0.76, 3.37).

With a structured approach, brain amyloid results can be returned safely.

The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's study was among the first and largest studies to include biomarker disclosure in a population without cognitive impairment. Routine psychological assessment provided a novel assessment of the impact of disclosure in this sample. Learning an elevated brain amyloid result through a protocolized approach was not associated with suicidal thoughts or behaviors compared to a matched cohort who learned they did not have elevated brain amyloid. Future research will be needed to ensure similar safety in more real-world settings.