Alzheimer's disease and symptom-seeking

Descriptive analyses of qualitative data revealed that adult children of parents with Alzheimer's disease (AD) engage in symptom-seeking behavior regarding their own health. Responses of two groups of adults, one with (n = 25) and one without (n = 25) a parent with a diagnosis of probable AD, were obtained during individual, face-to-face interviews and were compared. Common theme analysis of open- and closed-ended questions on anxieties about developing AD and symptom recognition identified three dimensions of symptom-seeking behavior: repeatedly checking for signs of AD, interpreting signs as symptomatic of AD, and soliciting external validation for concerns. The adult children of afflicted parents and women engaged in more symptom-seeking behaviors than the comparison group and men. Results may be useful to physicians and other health practitioners in the early detection of AD, and in identifying and caring for populations under stress both from caring for a parent with AD and from excessive worry about their own future health.