Abstract

SANCHEZ-RODRIGUEZ, Juan L.; TORRELLAS-MORALES, Clara; FERNANDEZ-GOMEZ, María J.  and  MARTIN-VALLEJO, Javier. Influence of cognitive reserve on quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's Disease. Anal. Psicol. [online]. 2013, vol.29, n.3, pp.762-771. ISSN 1695-2294.  https://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesps.29.3.138201.

Quality of life (QL) is defined as the personal perception an individual has of his or her own life situation. Among the factors that can affect QL is Cognitive Reserve (CR) which can be understood as the brain's capacity to resist the brain damage caused by pathology through pre-existing or compensatory cognitive processes. The main objective of this study is to analyze how CR affects the subjective self-perception of QL in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and to determine the existence of different profiles in terms of depressive symptoms and cognitive state. The sample comprised 112 individuals divided into two groups: one group with 74 patients diagnosed with AD, and the other with 38 healthy participants. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess QL. As regards cognitive reserve, it was found that subjects with greater CR scored higher in each of the dimensions of the SF-36. CR could be a source of influence on perception of QL in persons with AD, to the extent that its different components would lead to a more optimal functional capability and a better acceptance of one's cognitive state.

Keywords : Quality of life; dementia; Alzheimer disease; health status; cognitive reserve; self-assessment.

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