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American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias logoLink to American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
. 2006 Aug-Sep;21(4):242–248. doi: 10.1177/1533317506290589

Insight and Cognitive Impairment

Effects on Quality-of-Life Reports From Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Rebecca E Ready 1, Brian R Ott, Janet Grace
PMCID: PMC10833236  PMID: 16948288

Abstract

This study follows previous work to determine the effect of patient insight and cognitive impairment on the reliability and validity of self-reported quality of life (QOL) from patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). AD and MCI patients (N = 68) and their caregivers participated. Patients with impaired insight provided QOL ratings that were less reliable than those provided by patients with better insight. Patient-caregiver agreement for QOL reports was used as an index of validity. Neither better insight nor lesser cognitive impairment suggested better agreement. Thus, even when patient insight is intact, patient reports are unlikely to agree with caregiver reports. Patient and caregiver reports about patient QOL may represent 2 unique, yet potentially valid, perspectives.

Keywords: mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, quality of life, caregiver, insight, reliability, validity, self-report

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