Unique contributions of specific neuropsychiatric symptoms to caregiver burden in informal caregivers family members of patients with dementia

IntroductionWe aimed to evaluate how the presence of individual neuropsychiatric symptoms in non-institutionalised patients with dementia is associated with caregiver burden of their informal caregivers, family members.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study on a total of 131 pairs of one informal caregiver family member and non-institutionalised patient with dementia in a family medicine practices in a city of Zagreb, Croatia. Caregiver measures included Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) whereas patient measures included Mini mental state examination (MMSE), Barthel index and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q).ResultsTotal NPI-Q score explained 21% of overall burden. In order of strength of the association, after adjustments for age, sex, MMSE and Barthel index, overall burden was significantly associated with higher NPI-Q scores for agitation/aggression, apathy/indifference, irritability/lability, disinhibition, motor disturbance, appetite/eating, depression/dysphoria, anxiety, elation/euphoria and nighttime behaviours. When evaluating mutually independent contribution of unique NPI-Q symptoms to caregiver burden, agitation/aggression and apathy/indifference remained only two mutually independently associated symptoms, each explaining 5% of overall burden in this context.ConclusionsInformal caregivers who provide for family members with dementia suffering from agitation/aggression or apathy/indifference should be recognised as under special risk for the development of caregiver burden and considered as candidates for early targeted interventions.

Automated summary

We aimed to evaluate the impact of individual neuropsychiatric symptoms in non-institutionalised patients with dementia on caregiver burden. A cross-sectional study on 131 pairs of informal caregivers and patients with dementia in a family medicine practice in Zagreb, Croatia showed significant associations between the patients' neuropsychiatric symptoms and overall burden experienced by caregivers.