(Harris Interactive) -- A Harris Interactive survey of 500 family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients found that there is often a long delay between the time when the first signs of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease occur and when the patients, or family members, seek medical advice. For most caregivers, the appearance of symptoms is not enough for them to believe that something is definitely wrong with the person for whom they provide care.

Because the early signs of Alzheimer's disease often go unrecognized or are dismissed as normal signs of aging, many months or even years can pass before a physician's advice is sought. On average, caregivers report that more than a year (mean = 12.8 months) passed between the appearance of the first signs of symptoms of the disease and when a physician was first consulted. Among caregivers who say that at least six months had passed between the first signs or symp-toms or a specific incident and consulting a physician, 57% say a physician was not consulted sooner because they believed what they were observing were the normal signs of aging. Thirty-one percent report that a physician was not consulted sooner because of denial.

Many caregivers come to regret their failure to recognize early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease or to seek medical advice. Many caregivers say that they would have sought medical advice earlier if they had known that medication was available. Almost all caregivers say they would advise others who suspect Alzheimer's disease to take action, or to seek a diagnosis, quickly.

Most family caregivers are women, and their average age is 48. Male caregivers tend to be about a decade older. The majority of caregivers is living with the person for whom they provide care and, on average, has been providing care for that person for close to four years. Two out of three caregivers are providing care to a parent or the parent of a spouse.

The three symptoms most commonly reported as the first to appear are forgetting things more often, like names or phone numbers, being confused about what day it is or how to get home, and having trouble completing complicated tasks. Spouses were significantly more likely than other caregivers to be the first to notice symptoms.

The Alzheimer's disease symptoms most frequently noted as the first indications that some-thing might be wrong include forgetting things more often, like names or phone numbers (20%), being confused about what day it is or how to get home (20%), and having trouble completing complicated tasks (14%). Spouses are particularly likely to report problems associated with completing complicated tasks.

This research was commissioned by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and conducted in conjunction with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. The interviews with the 500 care-givers were conducted over the Internet in July 2001. Respondents were selected from Harris Interactive's panel of respondents who have agreed to complete surveys online and who report-ed that they provided care to someone with Alzheimer's disease for which they were not paid.

Harris Interactive (Nasdaq: HPOL) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm, best known for The Harris Poll.