The Agitation In Alzheimer’s Screener For Caregivers (AASC™) - A New Tool To Disease Recognition

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Agitation is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s dementia, and one of the most complex, prominent, stressful, and costly aspects of care. Caregivers are often first to encounter agitation-associated behaviors and play a pivotal role in communicating these symptoms to healthcare providers (HCPs). Agitation associated with Alzheimer’s dementia (AAD) causes a significant clinical, humanistic, and economic burden on community, family, and professional caregivers. AAD is notably underdiagnosed, and most caregivers do not identify the breadth of signs/symptoms of agitation and are hesitant to discuss these behaviors with HCPs. Therefore, there’s a need for an easy, pragmatic screener to facilitate caregiver recognition of AAD and HCP discussions. AASC™, a brief screening tool based on the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) consensus definition for agitation in cognitive disorders,9 was designed to assist caregivers in recognizing AAD. Dr. Carolyn Clevenger will discuss development of the AASC™ tool and its potential to improve communication between caregivers and providers, and ultimately recognition of agitation behaviors.