Quality of life of caregivers in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of PD on informal caregivers of patients and identify the main factors related to caregiver strain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Pairs of PD patients and their caregivers. Evaluation by neurologists included the Hoehn and Yahr, Schwab and England, UPDRS (parts 1-3), ISAPD, and Pfeiffer's SPMSQ rating scales. Patients completed the Euro-QoL 5D, PDQ-8, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The SQLC was used to assess caregivers' quality of life (QoL), with caregivers, in turn, applying the Euro-QoL and PDQ-8 to assess patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Multiple linear regression models were fitted to ascertain factors linked to the SQLC.

RESULTS

Significant correlations were in evidence between the following scores: SQLC and clinical rating scales and SQLC and patients' HRQoL. Based on multiple regression analysis, patients' functional state (ADL) proved to be the main predictor of caregivers' QoL. Self- and caregiver-assessed patients' HRQoL also proved to be a relevant factor.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) Patients' functional state was significantly related to caregivers' psychosocial burden; (2) patients' HRQoL proved to be an additional factor linked to caregiver QoL; (3) improvement of patient disability and HRQoL might alleviate caregiver strain.