A Guide to the Diagnosis and Assessment of Alzheimer's Disease

Meeting Organization Guide - Attachment 9
Questions and Answers

Is it realistic to expect to make a clinical diagnosis of AD?

A:

AD has a relatively consistent onset, clinical presentation and course of illness, which make it one of the most characteristic of mental disease processes. The clinical symptoms of the disease are definable and can be measured using a variety of assessment techniques (cognitive, functional and neuroimaging).

Why should we diagnose AD?

A:

The diagnosis of AD provides an opportunity to help both the patient and the caregiver. Families need to understand what is happening to the patient in order to be able to cope and interact with them. It also presents an opportunity to address the issues of emotional support, patient denial, functional deterioration and to identify co-morbid illnesses. In addition, the realization that symptomatic therapies are becoming available which may be most effective if initiated in the initial stages of AD, re-emphasizes the need for early diagnosis.

Symptomatic treatments do not cure AD, so what is the benefit of prescribing them?

A:

Although there is currently no cure for AD, the ability to maintain the level of cognitive and functional capabilities or even slow symptomatic decline presents a tremendous advantage to both the patient and caregiver, in terms of quality of life. In addition, slowing the symptomatic decline may delay the time to institutionalization.

What are the health economic implications for treating AD?

A:

AD adds significantly to healthcare costs. Worldwide, the disease affects an estimated 15 million people; in the US, the disease affects over 4 million people at a cost estimated to be as high as $90 billion annually. Symptomatic treatments, by maintaining levels of cognitive and functional capabilities or slowing the symptomatic decline of the patient, may reduce the caregiver burden and therefore indirect costs. The possibility for delaying the time to institutionalization will represent a significant reduction in direct healthcare costs.