Earlier first-time memory clinic visits during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of dementia severity and caregiver burden.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic prompted widespread restrictions on daily activities, leading to concerns over delayed medical consultations. However, limited social interaction outside the home may have increased the time family members spent with older adults, potentially facilitating earlier detection of dementia symptoms. This study aimed to examine changes in dementia severity, cognitive function, and caregiver burden at initial visits to a memory clinic before and during the pandemic and compare the patterns of initial visits to outpatient memory clinics. In total, 378 patient-family pairs (200 before and 178 during the pandemic) were evaluated at their first clinic visit. Cognitive function, dementia severity, and caregiver burden were assessed. Group comparisons were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U and χ² tests. While cognitive test scores and caregiver burden were similar between the two periods, patients who visited during the pandemic exhibited significantly lower dementia severity (clinical dementia rating: <i>P</i> = 0.001). The correlation between observed dementia severity and cognitive function remained strong in both periods. Contrary to expectations of delayed care, the pandemic period was associated with earlier clinical visits for patients with milder dementia. These results suggest that increased contact between family members and patients provided more frequent opportunities for support and intervention, which prevented a decline in activities of daily living among patients with the same cognitive impairment.