The IANEC receives a donation to support Alzheimer’s research in Málaga from the Criptana Association of Alzheimer’s patients (ACEA)

The Criptana Association of Alzheimer’s patients (ACEA) has made a donation of 3,000 euros to the Andalusian Institute of Neuroscience (IANEC) to continue with the research it is carrying out in Málaga against Alzheimer’s disease.

The IANEC is carrying out a pioneering research study in Spain, which aims a systematic approach to the knowledge of behavioral disorders that manifest in dementia, analyzing the medical, psychological, family, social and institutional aspects present in their appearance and maintenance, so that it contributes to improve our understanding of them and allows the development of new strategies for their diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Behavioral disorders are among the most complex, stressful and costly aspects of dementia care Their presence leads caregivers to express a greater need for daily help at home and for supervision, as well as for personal care, which translates into the large number of changes they have to introduce in their lifestyle. In addition, caregivers of patients with dementia who exhibit behavioral disorders express a greater number of unmet personal needs and lack of time for themselves. Epidemiological studies show that rates of psychiatric diagnoses, especially anxiety and depression, are systematically higher in family members who care for patients with dementia with behavioral disorders than in the general population.

Added to the above, behavioral disorders cause a significant decrease in the quality of life of both the patient and their families and caregivers, as well as great suffering in both, which favors the premature placement of the patient in an institution. They also add further deterioration to the existing one, contributing to the patient’s continued cognitive, physical and general decline, as well as increasing the risk of accidents on the part of the patient.The presence of behavioral disorders is associated with increased consumption of psychoactive drugs and the use of physical restrictions, as well as an increase in healthcare costs. On the other hand, caregivers, in comparison with the general population, present worse indicators of general health, more days of incapacity for work, greater consumption of psychotropic drugs and greater use of health resources.