Psychology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Montescano Institute, Montescano, PV, Italy.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Montescano Institute, Montescano, PV, Italy.
Neurol Sci. 2022 Apr;43(4):2481-2490. doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05712-2. Epub 2021 Nov 13.
This study evaluates the cognitive impairment impact on the caregiver's burden and quality of life.Patient-caregiver dyads admitted to dementia Diagnostic-Therapeutic Care Pathway underwent a psychological and neuropsychological assessment. Overall, 30 caregivers (age 58.97 ± 14.68) of patients with dementia and 28 caregivers (age 58.57 ± 12.22) of patients with MCI were recruited. Caregiver's burden is positively correlated to the number (r = .37, p = .003) and severity (r = .37, p = .003) of neuropsychiatric patient's symptoms and with the caregiver's distress (r = .36, p = .004). It is also negatively related to good quality of life perception (r = - .52, p = < .0001), to lower cognitive impairment (r = - .26, p = .05), to higher patient's residual functional abilities in daily living (r = - .32, p = .010) and to positive perception of the physician's communication (r = - .28, p = .026). Moreover, the caregiver's burden is significantly predicted by the patient's low level of instrumental activity of daily living (β = - .74; p = .043) and by the number of neuropsychiatric symptoms (β = .74; p = .029). Thus, this study suggests that the autonomy and neuropsychiatric symptoms may determine the caregiver's burden.
这项研究评估了认知障碍对照顾者负担和生活质量的影响。接受痴呆症诊断-治疗护理途径的患者-照顾者二人组接受了心理和神经心理学评估。共有 30 名（年龄 58.97 ± 14.68）痴呆症患者的照顾者和 28 名（年龄 58.57 ± 12.22）轻度认知障碍患者的照顾者被招募。照顾者的负担与患者神经精神症状的数量（r =.37，p =.003）和严重程度（r =.37，p =.003）以及照顾者的痛苦（r =.36，p =.004）呈正相关。它还与良好的生活质量感知呈负相关（r = - .52，p < .0001），与认知障碍程度较低（r = - .26，p =.05），与患者日常生活自理功能的剩余能力较高（r = - .32，p =.010）以及对医生沟通的积极看法（r = - .28，p =.026）呈负相关。此外，患者日常生活活动工具性能力低（β = - .74；p =.043）和神经精神症状数量多（β = - .74；p =.029）可显著预测照顾者的负担。因此，本研究表明，自主性和神经精神症状可能决定照顾者的负担。
