CAREGIVER-CARE RECIPIENT RELATIONSHIPS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS IN DEMENTIA

Le résumé fourni par la source

Closer caregiver-care recipient (CG-CR) relationships have been associated with lower informal care costs and better cognitive and functional outcomes in persons with dementia. Considering difficulties in treating neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and their significant detrimental effects on caregivers and care-recipients in dementia, we examined whether closer CG-CR relationships were associated with severity of overall NPS and specific subdomains in dementia. NPS were assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-12 (NPI-12) in 252 CG-CR dyads in the Dementia Progression Study a longitudinal-population based study in Cache County Utah. Caregivers reported on relationship closeness using the Whitlach Relationship Scale. Linear mixed models examined the association between NPI-12 total score and symptom subdomains with CG-CR closeness (time-varying) in separate models. When controlling for caregiver burden, kin relationship, and dementia severity, each increasing unit of closeness was associated with an approximate 3-point lower NPI-12 score (b=-2.73, p=.002), and an approximate 1-point slower increase in NPI total score per year (b=-0.92, p=0.046). In NPI subdomains, closer relationships were associated with lower affective domain scores (b=-0.15, p<0.001) and lower agitation/aggression scores (b=-0.13, p<0.001). These results suggest that closeness in CG-CR relationship, a modifiable factor, may help reduce severity or slow intensification of NPS in dementia patients, which may be clinically significant for challenging symptom management. Extending prior findings that higher CG-CR closeness also predicts better cognitive and functional outcomes and lower informal costs of care, enhancing the CG-CR relationship may improve quality of life in the care dyad and possibly avoid or delay costly outcomes such as institutionalization.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.