Disclosure of Amyloid Status for Risk of Alzheimer Disease to Cognitively Normal Research Participants With Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Longitudinal Study
Taisei Wake, Hajime Tabuchi, Kei Funaki, Daisuke Ito, Bun Yamagata, Takahito Yoshizaki, Tadaki Nakahara, Masahiro Jinzaki, Haruo Yoshimasu, Iori Tanahashi, Hiroumi Shimazaki, Masaru Mimura
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the long-term impacts of disclosing amyloid status for a risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) to cognitively normal research participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), which represents an initial manifestation of AD. Forty-two participants were classified as the amyloid-positive ( n = 10) or amyloid-negative ( n = 32) groups. We assessed symptoms of anxiety, depression, and test-related distress at 6, 24, and 52 weeks after results disclosure. No difference was found over time in anxiety, depression, and test-related distress in either group. Although no significant differences were observed between groups in anxiety or depression, the amyloid-negative group had a significantly higher level of test-related distress than the amyloid-positive group at 52 weeks. Disclosing amyloid status to cognitively healthy research participants with SCD did not cause significant long-term psychological risks. However, a theoretical spectrum of subjective concern may exist about cognitive decline in amyloid-negative individuals.