The predisposition to Alzheimer's disease in first-degree relatives: prodromal personality traits and neuropsychiatric symptoms

• Grant number: 22/13549-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: March 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Paula Foss
• Grantee: Adriana Oliveira Costa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Literature points to an intricate and complex nature regarding the understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in its characterization and even in its etiology, since both the environment and genetics play important roles in the onset of the disease. On this matter, family history of AD considerably increases the risk of developing the disease. Furthermore, some factors, such as personality and the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms, have been studied as markers of prodromal and preclinical stages of AD. Considering this, the main objective of the study is to clarify how these prodromal manifestations are related to genetic predisposition through assessment of these variables in first-degree relatives of individuals with AD. Thereby, the study will comprise the group of relatives and the control group who will be invited to answer Factorial Battery (PFB) and Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C). Furthermore, instruments will also be applied to assess the influence of other variables on the results, such as age, education, gender and caregiver burden, since participants in the AD group can be caregivers of their relatives with Alzheimer's disease. Based on this, the scores will be compared and statistically analyzed in order to verify relevance. It is expected to find personality traits and/or neuropsychiatric symptoms characteristic of preclinical AD phases in the relative group when compared to control.