アルツハイマー病患者と家族は記憶障害をどう体験しているか

How patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their family members experience the memory impairment and the disease was investigated. Patients with very mild to moderate AD (n=10) and their family members (n=10) participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted separately with the patients and the family members. Nearly all the patients with AD demonstrated some awareness of memory difficulties, but there were individual variations in the level of suffering. This was related to the role the patients played in their daily life, how they comprehended the memory impairment, and their coping style. Moreover, family members' awareness of patients' memory impairments and suffering differed, depending on the relationship with the patient. These results suggest that not only the severity of AD, but also psychosocial factors are related to the experience of AD by patients and their families.