Kayla Drifka
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Annalise Rahman-Filipiak
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychiatry / Medicine
Program:
Authors: Kayla Drifka, Annalise Rahman-Filipiak, Haley Kohl, Gloria Whitaker
Session: Session 7: 4:40 pm – 5:30 pm
Poster: 29
Abstract
Dementia, characterized by cognitive decline affecting the ability to do everyday activities, poses a significant health challenge. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, involves the accumulation of abnormal amyloid and tau proteins, which are measured using positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Elevated amyloid is the key indicator that AD brain changes are present. Early detection of this disease provides individuals with the opportunity to plan for the future and make informed decisions. Although prior research has found that most participants do not experience new or worsening mood or anxiety disorders following biomarker disclosure, few studies have examined predictive factors for positive or negative emotional reactions, such as patient characteristics like age at biomarker disclosure. This study aims to investigate emotional reactions after learning positive PET amyloid biomarker status among 49 participants 55 years of age and older with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Dementia Alzheimer’s Type (DAT) ??as a function of age. Emotional reactions were assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale – Short Form (PANAS-SF) and and Impact of Neuroimaging in Alzheimer’s Disease (INI-AD) given at baseline (before disclosure), immediately post-disclosure, and 6-week post-disclosure. PANAS and INI-AD scores will be compared across 2 age groups: 55-70 years and 71+, utilizing the assessments for amyloid-positive participants. Analysis focused on data collected immediately following disclosure and at 1-week post-disclosure. We hypothesize that participants within the ages of 55-70 will display a more negative affect than their older counterparts of 71+. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the data did not support the notion that younger participants exhibit higher distress levels. The analysis revealed no significant overall difference in psychological reactions for both immediate (F4,36 = 0.622, p =.650) and 1-week (F4,35 = 1.050, p =.396) post disclosure, however, there was an overall medium effect size between groups (immediate: ?p2=.065; 1-week: ?p2=.107). In summary, there were small, non-significant effects of age for both measures of PANAS and INI-AD. Despite the absence of significant effects of age on psychological measures, these findings emphasize the importance of further research replication with larger sample sizes and diverse study populations. Such endeavors can provide insights into who may be more likely to have negative reactions after learning positive AD biomarker results, allowing for clinicians completing disclosure to better prepare and support these patients. By understanding participants’ reactions and the age at which disclosure occurs, this research has the potential to enhance patient care and contribute to the broader understanding of the impact of biomarker disclosure.
