Life satisfaction across the entire trajectory of Alzheimer's disease: A mediation analysis

Contact Information

Keywords

Alhzeimer’s disease, dementia, life satisfaction, mild cognitive impairment, mobility, subjective cognitive decline

Abstract

Introduction
We studied life satisfaction across Alzheimer's disease (AD) stages and studied mobility and meaningful activities as mediators of the associations between these AD stages and life satisfaction.

Methods
In this cross‐sectional study, we included n = 269 amyloid‐positive patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD dementia from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort. Life satisfaction was measured with the satisfaction with life scale. The mediating role of transportation, work, sports, and hobbies on life satisfaction was examined in single and multiple mediator models.
Results
Patients with dementia are less satisfied with life compared to SCD and MCI. These differences in life satisfaction are explained by reduced participation in meaningful activities, which in turn, was largely attributable to decreased transportation use.
Discussion
Our findings suggest that improving access to transportation, therewith allowing participation in meaningful activities help to maintain life satisfaction and may be an important target for intervention.

Citation

Mank, A., van Maurik, I. S., van Harten, A. C., Rhodius‐Meester, H. F., Teunissen, C. E., van Berckel, B. N., ... & Rijnhart, J. J. (2022). Life satisfaction across the entire trajectory of Alzheimer's disease: A mediation analysis. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 14(1), e12389.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12389

EWB Constructs:

(2) life satisfaction

EWB Measures:

Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS): Life Satisfaction

data availability:

data availability details:

N/A

brain imaging paradigm:

N/A

brain region/circuit:

Exclusion Criteria:

(1) diagnosis other than SCD, MCI, or dementia diagnosed at the follow‐up visits;
(2) not completing the questionnaire and therefore had no data on life satisfaction of the mediators.

Inclusion Criteria

(1) a diagnosis of AD dementia, MCI, or SCD;
(2) amyloid‐positive PET and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers;
(3) availability of data on life satisfaction, transportation, sports, hobbies and (voluntary) work.

Non-EWB Behavioral
Measures:

Transportation (three questions from the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA))
Hobbies (two questions)
Playing sports (two questions)
Continuing sports (playing sports at the time of completing the questionnaire)
Voluntary Work (two questions)
Maintaining voluntary work (doing voluntary work at the time of completing the questionnaire)

First author:

species:

human

sample size:

269

study design:

(1) cross-sectional

longitudinal data?

Yes

younger controls?

interventions:

N/A

study population:

(2) patients with (pre)clinical dementia

sex (% female):

50%

ethnicity (%white)

not stated

Age (mean, sd):

64.1 (6.9) for SCD, 67.3 (6.7) for MCI, 64.8 (7.0) for AD dementia

biological/Physiological Measures:

N/A