Premium
Adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of persons diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment
Author(s) -
Gibson Allison,
Bardach Shoshana H,
Jicha Gregory A
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.037514
Subject(s) - biopsychosocial model , psychology , clinical psychology , cognitive impairment , cognition , clarity , developmental psychology , psychiatry , biochemistry , chemistry
Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can disrupt an individual’s lifestyle. The biopsychosocial model serves as a promising clinical framework to understand the impact of MCI on the individual. Receiving a MCI diagnosis can result in behavioral responses that are either adaptive or maladaptive. Maladaptive behavior refers to types of behaviors that inhibit a person’s ability to adjust to particular situations. For many, an MCI diagnosis leads to maladaptive behaviors, stemming from emotional turmoil and lack of clarity about the future. Developing strategies to circumvent the development of such behaviors could significantly reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with MCI. Methods The Aging and Memory Quality of Life (AMQoL) Survey assesses aspects of a biopsychosocial assessment in order to determine the attitudes and behaviors of persons diagnosed with MCI (38 items). The tool was utilized to identify adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Data were collected on the impact of MCI from 45 individuals diagnosed with MCI and 45 cognitively normal participants serving as control subjects matched for age, gender, and education to distinguish responses to MCI from regular age‐related adaptations (n=90). Results Given the categorical nature of the survey, non‐parametric tests were conducted using the Mann‐Whitney u‐test. Subject groups’ mean ranks and p‐values are reported. MCI subjects were less confident, less interested in learning new things and less excited about the future (p‐values 0.027, <0.0001, and 0.016) compared to the cognitively normal respondents. MCI subjects were more likely to want help managing financial affairs (p=0.009) than their cognitively normal counterparts. Subjects scoring high on maladaptive behaviors or MCI were younger, healthier, and scored lower on category fluency, Trailmaking A&B, and Wais digit‐symbol tests (p‐values 0.03, 0.003, 0.008, 0.001, 0.03, 0.04). Further, less than half of individuals with MCI were on medications for cognition. Conclusion Analyses of the data demonstrate a significant potential for maladaptive responses to an MCI diagnosis. Developing strategies to circumvent the development of such behaviors could significantly reduce morbidity and mortality. Interventions to counter the negative biopsychosocial effects of MCI diagnosis could improve the quality of life of individuals diagnosed with MCI.