Natalie DeSouza

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Differences of pattern of impairment: Decision-making capacity in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer´s Disease

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Biography

Natalie DeSouza holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Communication with a major in Journalism from Centro Universitario Carioca, and a second Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Centro Universitario Celso Lisboa. She has completed postgraduate studies in Sociology at Universidade Gama Filho and in Mental Health and Psychosocial Care at Universidade Estacio de Sa. She earned a Master’s degree in Psychiatry and Mental Health from IPUB/UFRJ and is currently pursuing her PhD in the same field at IPUB/UFRJ.

Her academic and professional focus lies at the intersection of social psychology and neuroscience, particularly in the institutional role of psychology in promoting mental health among workers and advancing inclusion for individuals with developmental disorders. Natalie is dedicated to transdisciplinary approaches in psychology, with a special interest in early- and late-onset dementias and their effects on the quality of life of patients and caregivers.

Her current research explores decision-making capacity and disease awareness in individuals with early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. She collaborates on ongoing studies at the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Mental Disorders in Old Age (CDA/LabCons/IPUB-UFRJ).

Abstract

Background: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia. People with MCI may be aware that their memory or mental ability has worsened. Alzheimer´s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by gradually progressive cognitive and functional deficits and behavioral changes. The decision-making capacity is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information and assessing alternative resolutions, and selecting an appropriate action from several possible actions. There is a lack of research on differences between decision-making capacity in People with MCI and People with AD.

Method: A cross-sectional study included 137 participants, being 37 people with MCI, 50 people with mild DA and 50 people with moderate DA.

Result: People with MCI were more cognitively aware and more aware of cognitive deficits and health conditions, with moderate effect sized. All people with AD presented deficits in the domains of decision-making capacity, with more impairment in understanding. There was a relationship between understanding and awareness domains, such that awareness was particularly important for decision-making capacity in the AD group. 

Conclusion: Better awareness involved better understanding in the MCI group. Clinically, our findings shed light on the need to consider the differences in the domains of decision-making capacity and their relationship with other clinical aspects. Furthermore, our data can suggest hypotheses for larger and longitudinal studies.