The neurologist of the Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor in Madrid, Doctor María Sagrario Manzano, has underlined that the support needs for the caregiver "can already appear during the mild cognitive impairment" of the patient she accompanies, and has therefore urged that they be identified "early on."
In her opinion, it is essential "to move toward comprehensive care that also places them at the center," as she has noted in the webinar "The figure of the caregiver in the face of mild cognitive impairment: burden, impact and needs," organized by the Confederación Española de Alzheimer y otras Demencias (CEAFA) and the pharmaceutical company Roche. The session sought to focus on the emotional, social and family repercussions that caring entails from the initial phases of cognitive impairment.
During the meeting, Manzano detailed the main findings of the study "CARE-eAD," a cross-sectional and observational study funded by the pharmaceutical company and presented in 2025. This research analyzes the impact of caring for a person with mild cognitive impairment and how it affects the mental health and well-being of non-professional caregivers. Among its conclusions, it highlights that 59.7 percent of those who provide care experience burden related to their role, a situation associated above all with anxiety, stigma, distress generated by the neuropsychiatric symptoms of the person being cared for, and the need to have a more solid social support network.
ACCOMPANY AND PLAN
As the specialist explained, "care in this phase does not consist only of carrying out tasks for the other person, but also of accompanying, planning, providing support and participating jointly in decision-making," emphasizing the importance of "identifying from the earliest stages the factors that generate stress and distress," so that healthcare professionals "can implement early, specific interventions, tailored to the needs of each family."
The study also reveals that 41.8 percent of caregivers present symptoms of anxiety and that 20.9 percent suffer from moderate or severe anxiety, while 18.9 percent show signs of depression. Likewise, almost 63 percent experience some degree of hopelessness; 42.9 percent have a mild level and 19.9 percent, a moderate or severe level.
In relation to these data, "at Roche, we believe that research must contribute to improving people's lives in all dimensions of their health," the medical manager of his Neurosciences area, Jorge Mauriño, has said, highlighting the importance of "making visible the impact of mild cognitive impairment beyond the patient and understanding the needs of those who care for them." In his view, "generating evidence about a reality that is often invisible is the first step toward promoting solutions that improve their well-being and moving toward more comprehensive care, which places both patients and their caregivers at the center."