The study aimed to explore the impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD) on spouse-carer's lives and the ways it affects their marital relationship and sexual activity. Data were obtained from qualitative interviews conducted with 11 spouse-carers of people with AD. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), three themes emerged: psychological and emotional impact, social impact, and sexual impact. Some spouse-carers reported stress, poor emotional well-being, frustration, doubts about how to deal with the situation, sadness, loneliness, perception of losing connection with the partner, and feelings of companionship disappearing. Meanwhile, other spouse-carers reported closer relations and greater affection for their care-recipients after the diagnosis. Changes in sexual activity were attributed to aging and/or the effects of the illness. Gender influenced the perception of changes in the marital relationship but not in sexual activity. Participants reported conflicting perspectives towards the importance of sexual activity in the marital relationship and the replacement of sexual intercourse with other modes of expressing affection. We believe that understanding the specificities of marital relationships of couples in whom one spouse was diagnosed with AD would be helpful for developing coping strategies for persons living with dementia and their spouses.

该研究旨在探讨阿尔茨海默氏病（AD）对配偶照顾者生活的影响以及它如何影响他们的婚姻关系和性活动。数据来自对 11 名 AD 患者的配偶照顾者进行的定性访谈。使用解释现象学分析（IPA），出现了三个主题：心理和情感影响、社会影响和性影响。一些配偶照顾者报告说，他们感到压力大、情绪不健康、沮丧、怀疑如何处理这种情况、悲伤、孤独、感觉与伴侣失去联系以及陪伴感消失。与此同时，其他配偶照顾者表示，在诊断后，他们与照顾者的关系更加密切，感情也更加深厚。性活动的变化归因于衰老和/或疾病的影响。性别影响对婚姻关系变化的看法，但不影响性活动。参与者对性活动在婚姻关系中的重要性以及用其他表达感情的方式取代性交的观点存在冲突。我们相信，了解其中一方被诊断患有 AD 的夫妇婚姻关系的特殊性将有助于为痴呆症患者及其配偶制定应对策略。