Impact of a Timely Diagnosis of Early Alzheimer’s Disease on Functional Outcomes

Abstract Background The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) prioritizes timely diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as one of its key goals. Studies describing the downstream consequences of not having a timely diagnosis in this vulnerable population are limited. The study objective will evaluate the relationship between a timely MCI diagnosis and decline in functional outcomes compared to a missed diagnosis. Method This observational study utilizes 2008‐2020 data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a longitudinal panel study that surveys a representative sample of 20,000 people age >50 years in the US every 2 years. Our study is research in progress; final data will extend through 2022. Cognition was assessed by a validated tool, Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). A timely diagnosis of MCI is defined as a self or proxy report of a healthcare provider diagnosis in the HRS within 2 years of an MCI‐qualifying score on the TICS. Survival analyses will be used to assess longitudinal change every two years between diagnosed and missed diagnosis groups. Result Preliminary analyses identified a study population of 4712 patients with an MCI‐qualifying score; 303 (6.4%) reported a timely MCI diagnosis. Ongoing analyses will shed light on the impact of a timely MCI diagnosis on functional outcomes. Conclusion Final analyses will clarify results and provide an indication of the impact of a timely MCI diagnosis on functional outcomes.