Poster Session 02 Program Schedule
02/15/2024
08:00 am - 09:15 am
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)
Poster Session 02: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 1
Final Abstract #3
Does Fear of Alzheimer’s Disease Influence Women’s Perception of their Memory Capabilities?
Sonakshi Arora, PhD, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, United States
Nicole Kaplan, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, United States
Jessica Caldwell, PhD, ABPP/CN, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, United States
Category: Memory Functions/Amnesia
Keyword 1: memory: normal
Keyword 2: mood disorders
Objective:
Having family history of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can increase worry and fear of developing Alzheimer’s disease among children and siblings of the person with AD. Additionally, believing that one has poor memory has also been associated with increased worry. Women may be at increased risk for worrying about getting Alzheimer’s disease compared to men. This study specifically looks at cognitively healthy women with family history of Alzheimer’s disease and aims to investigate if the fear of developing Alzheimer’s disease relates to women’s beliefs about whether they can improve their current memory abilities and postpone future decline with intervention.
Participants and Methods:
These analyses included 156 women patients (mean age = 52.8 years; 93% White; 7% Hispanic) of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic (WAMPC) who had consented into a research registry. All have family history of AD and are cognitively normal according to a cognitive screening. This study utilizes two scales- the Fear of Alzheimer’s Disease Scale (FADS) and effort utility subscale of the Memory Controllability Inventory (MCI). A linear regression model examined relationship of FADS as the independent variable with MCI effort utility as the dependent variable.
Results:
The analysis revealed that FADS scores (Mean = 47.09, Standard Deviation = 24.03) did not significantly predict women's beliefs concerning their capacity to improve their memory through effort (F(1, 153) = 2.652, p = 0.105).
Conclusions:
Within a cohort of cognitively healthy women having a familial history of Alzheimer's disease, the apprehension and worries associated with the potential of developing AD did not significantly predict the extent of women's convictions in their ability to enhance memory function and deter future decline. Lack of significance may relate to limited variability in the FADS scores in the present sample. It is worth noting that results showed a trend which suggested higher scores on FADS predicting lower belief in effort utility. In future investigations, it will be important to explore other variables influencing women's perceptions of their memory capabilities and potential decline. Factors such as assuming a caregiver role for an individual with Alzheimer's disease, having adequate health literacy concerning Alzheimer's disease, and the presence of pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses such as depression and anxiety could be some of these influential factors. A comprehensive understanding of interactions of these variables has the potential to facilitate interventions that address women's stress and anxieties related to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
| 
