In:
Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), Vol. 36, No. 2 ( 2022-04), p. 118-124
Abstract:
Our aim was to evaluate the psychological impact of predictive genetic testing in individuals at-risk for inherited dementia who underwent a structured counseling and testing protocol. Methods: Participants were healthy at-risk relatives from families with at least one affected patient, in whom a disease-associated genetic variant had been ascertained. A comprehensive psychological assessment (personality, anxiety and depression, quality of life, coping strategies, resilience and health-related beliefs) was administered at baseline, at 6 months and 12 months follow-up. Results: Twenty-four participants from 13 families were included. Sixteen participants underwent blood sampling and genetic analysis; 6 resulted to be carriers of pathogenic variants (1 in PSEN1 , 1 in PSEN2 , 4 in GRN ). Carriers showed higher score on the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA) – social competence, and on Multidimensional Health Locus of Control – internal, than noncarriers ( P =0.03 for both). Ten at-risk relatives who completed the follow-up showed improvement in RSA – planned future ( P =0.01) with respect to baseline. Discussion: Our case series showed that at-risk individuals undergoing predictive testing showed benefit on personal life and no detrimental impact on a broad range of psychological outcomes. Higher social skills and lower internal health locus of control in carriers may be an early psychological correlate of preclinical dementia.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0893-0341
DOI:
10.1097/WAD.0000000000000494
Language:
English
Publisher:
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2048789-7
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