Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, Caregiver Burden and Distress in Behavioral-Variant Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

Author(s):Show less -

Lima-Silva, Thais Bento ^[1] ; Bahia, Valeria Santoro ^[1] ; Carvalho, Viviane Amaral ^[2] ; Guimaraes, Henrique Cerqueira ^[2] ; Caramelli, Paulo ^[2] ; Balthazar, Marcio Luiz ^[3] ; Damasceno, Benito ^[3] ; Bottino, Cassio Machado ^[4] ; Brucki, Sonia Maria ^[1] ; Nitrini, Ricardo ^[1] ; Yassuda, Monica Sanches ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Grp Pesquisa Neurol Cognit & Comportamento, BR-05403100 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Fac Med, Dept Clin Med, Grp Pesquisa Neurol Cognit & Comportamento, Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Neurol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Psiquiatria, Programa Terceira Idade, Inst Psiquiatria, BR-05403100 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: DEMENTIA AND GERIATRIC COGNITIVE DISORDERS; v. 40, n. 5-6, p. 268-275, 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 20

Abstract

Background/Aims: We aimed to compare caregiver burden and distress in behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to investigate which factors contribute to caregivers' burden and distress. Methods: Fifty patients and their care-givers were invited to participate. Among the patients, 20 had a diagnosis of bvFTD and 30 had AD. Caregivers and patients were statistically equivalent for age, sex, education and dementia severity according to Clinical Dementia Rating. The protocol included the Short Zarit Burden Inventory, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD), the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised, the Executive Interview with 25 Items, Direct Assessment of Functional Status and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI). Results: In the NPI, caregivers of bvFTD patients reported a higher presence and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregiver distress compared to caregivers of AD patients. There was no significant difference in the perceived burden. In bvFTD, DAD and GAI scores were significantly correlated with burden, whereas in AD, burden was correlated with CSDD and NPI scores. Psychiatric symptoms were associated with distress in both groups. Conclusions: Caregivers of bvFTD patients experienced higher levels of distress than caregivers of AD patients. Patients' functional limitations were associated with burden of caregivers of bvFTD patients, whereas neuropsychiatric symptoms were associated with caregiver strain in both groups. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/04804-1 - Functionality and cognitive performance in frontotemporal dementia
• Grantee: Thaís Bento Lima da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master