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High Caregiver Burden in Young Onset Dementia: What Factors Need Attention?
Linda Lim1, Angeline Zhang1, Levinia Lim1
1Department of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
Insights
Caregivers of young onset dementia (YOD) patients experience significantly higher caregiver burden (CB) than those with late onset dementia (LOD). Neuropsychiatric symptoms and specific behaviors in YOD increase this burden, necessitating targeted support.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Young onset dementia (YOD) is increasingly prevalent.
- Specific challenges and caregiver burden (CB) in YOD require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Compare caregiver burden in YOD versus late onset dementia (LOD).
- Identify factors, including neuropsychiatric symptoms, influencing caregiver burden in YOD.
Main Methods:
- 183 patient-caregiver dyads (57 YOD, 126 LOD) were recruited.
- Caregiver burden assessed using Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI).
- Neuropsychological and Neuropsychiatric Inventory assessments performed; regression analyses identified risk factors.
Main Results:
- Caregivers of YOD reported significantly higher burden (ZBI: 17.3) than LOD (13.94).
- 52.6% of YOD caregivers reported high burden, 2.34 times the odds compared to LOD caregivers.
- High caregiver burden in YOD linked to higher neuropsychiatric scores and risk factors like family history, disinhibition, delusions, and apathy.
Conclusions:
- Caregivers of YOD patients face substantially higher burden.
- Targeted support is crucial for this demographic.
Background:
There is an increase in prevalence of young onset dementia (YOD). The specific problems among YOD patients and levels of caregiver burden (CB) in this group warrants further evaluation.
Objective:
To evaluate and compare level of CB in YOD and late onset dementia (LOD). Also, we sought to understand the specific factors, such as neuropsychiatric symptoms, that may affect the levels of caregiver burden in the YOD group.
Methods:
Patient-caregiver dyads with YOD and LOD were recruited from a tertiary neurology center. Levels of CB between YOD and LOD were compared among 183 patient-caregiver dyads. CB was quantified using the Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI). Neuropsychological evaluations as well as the Neuropsychiatric Inventory were performed. Factors that influenced level of CB in YOD group was investigated with regression analyses.
Results:
There were 57 YOD and 126 LOD dyads. Caregivers of YOD subjects reported significantly higher levels of burden compared to caregivers of LOD subjects (ZBI: 17.3 versus 13.94; p = 0.015). 52.6% of YOD caregivers reported a high caregiver burden. When compared to caregivers of LOD, the odds of a caregiver of YOD reporting high caregiver burden was 2.34 (95% CI: 1.22-4.49: p = 0.010). YOD dyads with a high caregiver burden had significantly higher neuropsychiatric inventory scores. Risk factors for high caregiver burden in YOD included family history of dementia and behavioral symptoms including disinhibited behavior, delusions, and apathy.
Conclusion:
Targeted support for caregivers of patients with YOD is needed to address the higher CB in this group.
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