Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Audiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Quality of life (QoL) is influenced by cognitive status, sociodemographics, and health issues like hearing loss.
• Understanding factors affecting QoL in cognitive decline is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze QoL in cognitive decline patients using the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD) questionnaire.
• To examine the relationship between QoL, cognitive status, hearing acuity, comorbidities, and sociodemographic data.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of patients with cognitive decline at a neurology clinic.
• Included tonal audiometry, QOL-AD questionnaires (patient and caregiver), and medical record data.
• Excluded patients using hearing aids.

Main Results:

• Sample: 32 men, 17 women; age 30-89. Mean MMSE 19.75. Mean education 6.61 years.
• Comorbidities present in 79.6% (clinical) and 24.5% (psychiatric).
• Health comorbidities, particularly psychiatric, significantly impacted QoL. Functionality and mental health were key. No significant link found between hearing acuity and QoL, despite 75.4% having hearing loss.

Conclusions:

• Health comorbidities significantly affect QoL in cognitive decline patients.
• Auditory interventions could potentially improve QoL and should be explored in future clinical trials.