Misconceptions About Alzheimer's Disease, Treatment Options Abound, Study Finds

Public awareness about Alzheimer's disease has increased as the disease affects an increasing number of older adults and their families. However, while the general public retains about the same knowledge of the disease, a new study released by the University of Michigan reveals that discrepancies exist between races about the role of Alzheimer's disease as a part of aging.

According to the study, as much as 70 percent of black and Hispanic families dismiss the symptoms of family members with Alzheimer's disease as part of aging, compared with about half of non-Hispanic whites. Additionally, the study found that blacks and Hispanics were much more hopeful than whites about research advances toward a cure, and also more likely to report changing their diet or lifestyle to avoid developing Alzheimer's disease than whites.

"If family members believe that Alzheimer's disease is the term for normal memory loss associated with aging, they will be less likely to seek diagnosis and treatment in the early phase of the process when more options are available," said lead researcher Cathleen Connell in a press release. "To the extent that non-whites are much more likely than whites to normalize symptoms of dementia, we need to do a much better job of tailoring messages in an effort to increase public awareness about the disease."

Together, these two facts reveal that although families impacted by Alzheimer's disease may know basic facts about the disease, they often operate under misconceptions about how the disease is different from usual aging and that different tactics are necessary and effective.

While these discrepancies exist, the study, "Public opinion about Alzheimer's disease among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites," found that across the board individuals were unaware of treatments available to reduce Alzheimer's disease symptoms. The study polled 1,176 adults, and is available in the September issue of Alzheimer's Disease and & Associated Disorders.