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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Rachael LawsonORCiD, Professor Alison Yarnall, Dr Fionnuala Johnston, Dr Gordon Duncan, Dr Tien Khoo, Daniel Collerton, Professor John-Paul TaylorORCiD, Professor David BurnORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
BackgroundThe quality of life (QoL) of informal caregivers of people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) can be affected by the caring role. Due to cognitive symptoms and diminished activities of daily living, in addition to the management of motor symptoms, carers of PwP and cognitive impairment may experience increased levels of burden and poorer QoL compared to carers of PwP without cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cognitive impairment in PD upon QoL of carers.MethodsApproximately 36 months after diagnosis 66 dyadic couples of PwP and carers completed assessments. PwP completed a schedule of neuropsychological assessments and QoL measures; carers of PwP completed demographic questionnaires and assessments of QoL. Factor scores of attention, memory/executive function, and global cognition, as derived by principal component analysis, were used to evaluate cognitive domains.ResultsHierarchical regression analysis found lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was a significant independent predictor of poorer carer QoL, in addition to number of hours spent caregiving, carer depression and PD motor severity. Attentional deficits accounted for the largest proportion of variance of carer QoL. Carers of PwP and dementia (PDD) (n=9) had significantly poorer QoL scores compared with PwP and mild cognitive impairment (n=18) or normal cognition (n=39) carers (p<0.01).ConclusionsAttentional deficits were the strongest predictor of carer QoL compared to other cognitive predictors. Carers for those with PDD reported the poorest QoL. Interventions such as respite or cognitive behavioural therapy to improve mood and self-efficacy in carers may improve carer QoL.
Author(s): Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Johnston F, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Collerton D, Taylor JP, Burn DJ, on behalf of the ICICLE-PD study group
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Year: 2017
Volume: 32
Issue: 12
Pages: 1362-1370
Print publication date: 01/12/2017
Online publication date: 07/12/2016
Acceptance date: 19/10/2016
Date deposited: 19/10/2016
ISSN (print): 0885-6230
ISSN (electronic): 1099-1166
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gps.4623
DOI: 10.1002/gps.4623
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