Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
Published on: November 6, 2017
Caregiver-Care Recipient Relationship Closeness is Associated With Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Dementia
Elizabeth K Vernon1, Bryce Cooley1, William Rozum1
1Department of Psychology (EKV, BC, WR, SB, JM, JTT), Utah State University, Logan, UT.
Objective:
Closer caregiver-care recipient (CG-CR) relationships are associated with better cognitive and functional abilities, activities of daily living (in persons with dementia), and lower informal care costs.
Methods:
Due to the difficulty in treating neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) and their detrimental effects on caregivers and care recipients, we examined whether closeness of CG-CR relationships was associated with overall NPS severity or with specific NPS symptom domains in care recipients. In a longitudinal population-based study in Cache County, Utah, the 12-item Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-12) was assessed in 300 CG-CR dyads. Caregivers reported current relationship closeness using the Whitlatch Relationship Closeness Scale. Linear mixed models examined associations between CG-CR closeness and NPI-12 total score or selected symptom domains over time (observation period: 2002-2012).
Results:
In unadjusted linear mixed models, higher closeness scores were associated with a five-point lower NPI-12 score and a one-point lesser increase in NPI-12 per year. NPI scores also showed lower affective cluster scores (two points) and lesser increase in psychosis cluster (approximately 0.5 points per year) and agitation/aggression (0.16 points per year) for each unit increase in closeness. When controlling for NPI caregiver distress, associations between closeness and NPSs diminished to a 0.5-point lesser increase in total NPI-12 score per year. Adjusted models for NPI domains/clusters showed -0.32 points per year for the psychosis cluster, -0.11 points per year for agitation/aggression, and -0.67 overall for the affective cluster.
Conclusion:
Higher CG-CR closeness, a potentially modifiable factor, is associated with lower NPS severity and may provide a target for intervention.
More Related Videos
08:08Author Spotlight: Capturing Infant-Caregiver Interactions Through Synchronized Multimodal Data Collection
Published on: May 31, 2024
06:23The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: October 13, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Close Relationships and Culture
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual....
Relationship Formation
Ending Relationships
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...