Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease: associations with caregiver burden and treatment outcomes

Abstract

The severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with AD was positively associated with caregiver's stress, and patients with better cognitive functions, under treatment with anti-Alzheimer's drugs, had better therapeutic outcomes. To reduce the impact of neuropsychiatric symptoms, it is crucial to detect dementia in its early phases and provide early intervention with anti-Alzheimer's drugs, which might help decrease the caregiver burden, thereby improving their quality of life.

Bidirectional relationship between caregiver burden and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A narrative review

“…The severity of NPs in patients with AD is generally positively associated with caregiver's stress . However, as a many family caregiver, to be responsible of care for their loved one with AD might be a gladful experience that AD‐related caregiver burden might be linked with both psychological and physical morbidity as well as financial problems.…”

“…The severity of NPs in patients with AD is generally positively associated with caregiver's stress. 70 However, as a many family caregiver, to be responsible of care for their loved one with AD might be a gladful experience that AD-related caregiver burden might be linked with both psychological and physical morbidity as well as financial problems. Furthermore, when it is taken account that those caring for someone 65 years or older are, on average, 63 years old themselves and caring for a spouse, one third of these caregivers are in fair to poor health themselves 16 ; it should be kept in mind that providing care for especially older patients with dementia is a stressful experience that has implications on the caregiver's health (Figure 1).…”

The relationship between executive dysfunction and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome

“…A recent study examining neuropsychiatric symptoms in 281 patients with KS reported that 96.4% of the patients showed at least one neuropsychiatric symptom, with irritability/lability, agitation/aggression, and disinhibition being most prevalent (Gerridzen et al, 2018). Neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with higher caregiver burden (Chen et al, 2017) and more frequent use of psychotropic drugs (Maust et al, 2017). In addition, patients with KS tend to overestimate their cognitive and functional capacities, typically having limited insight into their own disorder (Egger et al, 2002;Gerridzen et al, 2019), whilst also being institutionalized and dependent on daily care.…”

Examining differences in neuropsychiatric symptom factor trajectories in empirically derived mild cognitive impairment subtypes

“…Neuropsychiatric symptoms are prevalent in both early and later stages of progressive dementias with approximately 50% of individuals with MCI experiencing at least 1 NPS . The presence of NPS, even of mild severity, is linked with accelerated and higher rates of progression from MCI to dementia, increased functional impairment, higher need for institutionalized care, poorer quality of life, substantial neuropathological burden, and increased caregiver burden …”

“…11 The presence of NPS, even of mild severity, is linked with accelerated and higher rates of progression from MCI to dementia, 10 increased functional impairment, 12 higher need for institutionalized care, 13 poorer quality of life, 14 substantial neuropathological burden, 15,16 and increased caregiver burden. 17 Investigations into the role that NPS play in MCI as well as risk for conversion to AD have been limited. The majority of studies use conventional rather than empirical diagnostic criteria, 18,19 examine a single NPS (e.g., anxiety), or examine the overall number or severity of NPS.…”