Assessment of quality of life: preservation of the self.

To understand the quality of life of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is necessary for investigators to examine the perspective of the victim of the disease. This requires more than assessment of memory and function; qualitative changes in quality of life as expressed by successful, adaptive, and problem behaviors need to be measured. The latter are often expressions of emotional distress that, if properly understood, may allow observers to appreciate the experience of AD from the patient's perspective. Such an approach provides a greater likelihood of preserving "the self" of the patient during intervention.