BackgroundCerebrospinal fluid biomarkers can be used to diagnose biological Alzheimer's disease (AD). The psychological safety of this approach is often questioned given the paucity of effective therapies for AD.ObjectiveWe wanted to evaluate the psychological impact of biomarker assisted diagnosis on patients and their caregivers.MethodsUsing a mixed method design, 10 patients and 16 caregivers were evaluated before and after receiving a diagnosis of AD with this technique. Interviews were conducted to explore their perspectives. Questionnaires were used to evaluate the effects on quality of life, depression and caregiver burden.ResultsParticipants mentioned themes like having an objective explanation for their symptoms, being able to act on the information, finding lumbar puncture invasive, and receiving a difficult diagnosis with little possible action. Most participants said they would recommend the procedure. Measures of quality of life, depression and caregiver burden were similar before and after disclosure.ConclusionsThis study suggests that, from a psychological perspective, cerebrospinal fluid-based diagnosis of AD could be offered to patients after discussion of potential benefits and risks. Further research is needed in this field, especially as new diagnostic methods become more available.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; biomarker; caregiver; caregiver burden; depression; lumbar puncture; patient; psychological impact; psychological safety; quality of life.