Safety of disclosing amyloid status in cognitively normal older adults.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Disclosing amyloid status to cognitively normal individuals remains controversial given our lack of understanding the test's clinical significance and unknown psychological risk.

Methods

We assessed the effect of amyloid status disclosure on anxiety and depression before disclosure, at disclosure, and 6 weeks and 6 months postdisclosure and test-related distress after disclosure.

Results

Clinicians disclosed amyloid status to 97 cognitively normal older adults (27 had elevated cerebral amyloid). There was no difference in depressive symptoms across groups over time. There was a significant group by time interaction in anxiety, although post hoc analyses revealed no group differences at any time point, suggesting a minimal nonsustained increase in anxiety

SUBMITTER: Burns JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5582024 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature