Quality of life of the community-based patients with mild cognitive impairment.

AIM: To determine quality of life (QOL) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to normal subjects and to investigate the impact of demographic factors on QOL.

METHODS

There were 122 participants aged 50 and over, diagnosed with MCI (n = 85) or normal (n = 37) recruited from a community-based setting in Bangkok. The Thai version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF-THAI) was used to assess the QOL in the subjects.

RESULTS

The MCI patients had significantly lower psychological QOL compared to normal subjects. The MCI patients with low education had poorer total QOL scores, and patients with poor financial status had poorer psychological QOL scores and total QOL scores. The MCI patients who lived alone had poorer social relationship QOL. There were correlations between the Thai version of Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS) and physical QOL, TGDS and psychological QOL, and TGDS and total QOL scores. The depression subscale of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory had negative correlation with physical and psychological QOL.

CONCLUSION

The MCI patients had poorer psychological QOL than normal subjects. Low education, poor financial status, living alone and depressive symptoms had an influence on the quality of life.