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Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Application of Granger Causality Analysis of the Directed Functional Connection in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: August 7, 2017
The Functional Ability of MCI and Alzheimer's Patients Predicts Caregiver Burden
Jose Lara-Ruiz1, Kaitlyn Kauzor2, Marina Nakhala3
1UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, University of Texas at San.
Abstract:
Sixty patients and their caregivers participated in this study. Patients completed activities of daily living tasks and several neuropsychological tests assessing memory, abstract reasoning, and language. Caregivers completed self-report measures assessing caregiver burden and psychological distress. Results revealed that the mAD caregivers endorsed greater physical burden and feelings of missing out on life compared to MCI caregivers. The mAD caregivers indicated greater depression and anxiety relative to MCI caregivers. Stepwise regression found that fewer patient neuropsychological scores predicted caregiver burden, as compared to patients' daily functioning. Overall, mAD displayed more severe types of burden and psychological distress relative to MCI caregivers and patients' daily functional abilities better predicated caregivers' burden and psychological distress than patients' neuropsychological functioning.
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