Comparison of caregiver burden between dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease

BackgroundCaring for patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) would be more stressful for their caregivers than those with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we compared levels of caregiver burden and the possible influential factors on the caregiver burden between DLB and AD. MethodsNinety-three DLB patients and 500 AD patients were selected from the Kumamoto University Dementia Registry. Caregiver burden, neuropsychiatric symptoms, basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were assessed by the Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (J-ZBI), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS), and the Lawton IADL scale, respectively. ResultsDespite the comparable Mini-Mental State Examination score, the J-ZBI score was significantly higher in the DLB group than the AD group (P = 0.012). A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that IADL score (beta = -0.23, P = 0.049), PSMS score (beta = -0.31, P = 0.010), disinhibition (beta = 0.22, P = 0.008), and anxiety (beta = 0.19, P = 0.027) were significantly associated with J-ZBI score in DLB. In AD, caregiver's relationship with patient (child) (beta = 0.104, P = 0.005), caregiver's gender (female) (beta = 0.106, P = 0.004), IADL score (beta = -0.237, P < 0.001), irritability (beta = 0.183, P < 0.001), apathy (beta = 0.132, P = 0.001), agitation (beta = 0.118, P = 0.007), and aberrant motor behaviour (beta = 0.107, P = 0.010) were associated with caregiver burden. ConclusionsCaring for DLB patients caused a higher degree of caregiver burden than AD patients in the same level of cognitive decline. The factors responsible for the caregiver's burden were different between DLB and AD. The caregiver burden for DLB patients was associated with the disability of basic ADL, IADL impairment, anxiety and disinhibition.