Self- and informant-reported everyday memory errors in AD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Self- and Informant-Reported Everyday Memory Errors in Alzheimer's Disease: A Diary Study
IRAS ID
274280
Contact name
Brigita Brazauskiene
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hertfordshire
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
During the memory assessment process, along with the standardized cognitive screening, clinicians obtain information about the memory functioning from the patient as well as their informant. Due to the impaired recall ability in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, clinicians tend to rely more on the information obtained from their informant (e.g. spouse, son or daughter, close friend). While some research in dementia demonstrates a discrepancy between self- and informant-reported cognitive decline, which has led to focussing mostly on informant-based information, other studies suggest that informant reports may not always be as valid as one would hope. For example, findings of one study, suggest that informant factors, such as higher neuroticism may result in exaggeration of another person’s cognitive decline (Buchnan & Loveday, 2018). Moreover, the results of another study indicate that carers recall fewer cognitive problems during the interview compared to their records of problems in the dairies kept for 7 days (Jayalath et al., 2016). This issue of recall is especially important while investigating self- and informant-reported cognitive decline as most previous research used memory questionnaires, all of which rely heavily on the respondents' recall ability.
Therefore, this new project will use a novel and comprehensive approach to assess everyday memory failures in patients' with AD. this will be achieved by having AD patients and their carers complete not only retrospective questionnaires about AD patient's everyday memory failures but also having participants (both AD and their carer) to keep a diary of everyday memory failures as they happen for a total of 7 days. As dairy keeping is a memory task itself (i.e. participants have to remember to fill in a diary page when experiencing a memory error), participants (AD and carers) will be issued with a vibrating reminder watches to help with adherence to the paper diary.
The results of this study will help us to (1) gain a better understanding of the nature and frequency of everyday memory failures in AD, (2) investigate the discrepancy between self- and informant-reported memory failures as reported in diaries versus questionnaires and (3) investigate potential therapeutic effect of diary keeping on carer’s wellbeing.REC name
Wales REC 2
REC reference
20/WA/0063
Date of REC Opinion
22 Apr 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion