Takechi Hajime, Yoshino Hiroshi, Suzuki Megumi, Maeda Akiko, Suzumura Shota, Kamiya Eiko
Department of Geriatrics and Cognitive Disorders, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan.
Faculty of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan.
J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2024 Feb 6;8(1):151-162. doi: 10.3233/ADR-230069. eCollection 2024.
Because dementia is a long-term condition, the appropriate involvement of health-care professionals is considered important. However, little is known about the factors associated with changes in family caregiver burden.
To clarify changes in family caregiver burden and associated factors during follow-up at a memory clinic.
A retrospective cohort study was conducted, enrolling 495 pairs of patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment and their family caregivers. A total of 120 pairs completed the second evaluation. The caregiver burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Data at the initial visit and after an average follow-up of about 2 years were compared and analyzed.
At initial visit, the patients' mean age, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and ZBI scores were 78.6±5.6 years, 23.3±3.5, and 22.6±16.7, respectively. At follow-up, MMSE scores decreased (21.4±4.5, < 0.001), but ZBI scores remained similar (22.5±13.6). When the difference in ZBI scores between the two time points was defined as ZBI, and the related factors were analyzed by multiple regression analysis, ZBI scores at the initial visit, start of psychotropic drug, and decrease of neuropsychiatric symptoms were identified as significant factors ( < 0.001, = 0.003, < 0.001, respectively). A significant negative correlation was found between ZBI scores at the initial visit and ZBI ( = -0.588, < 0.001).
These findings suggest the importance of assessing changes in the burden experienced by family caregivers during the disease follow-up.
由于痴呆症是一种长期疾病，医疗保健专业人员的适当参与被认为很重要。然而，关于家庭照顾者负担变化的相关因素知之甚少。
阐明记忆门诊随访期间家庭照顾者负担的变化及相关因素。
进行一项回顾性队列研究，纳入495对痴呆症或轻度认知障碍患者及其家庭照顾者。共有120对完成了第二次评估。使用 Zarit 负担访谈（ZBI）评估照顾者负担。比较并分析初次就诊时和平均约2年随访后的数据。
初次就诊时，患者的平均年龄、简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）和ZBI评分分别为78.6±5.6岁、23.3±3.5和22.6±16.7。随访时，MMSE评分下降（21.4±4.5，<0.001），但ZBI评分保持相似（22.5±13.6）。当将两个时间点的ZBI评分差异定义为ZBI，并通过多元回归分析相关因素时，初次就诊时的ZBI评分、精神药物的开始使用以及神经精神症状的减轻被确定为显著因素（分别为<0.001、=0.003、<0.001）。初次就诊时的ZBI评分与ZBI之间存在显著负相关（= -0.588，<0.001）。
这些发现表明在疾病随访期间评估家庭照顾者负担变化的重要性。
