Abstract
Background: Changes in social cognition occur in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) and can be caused by several factors, including emotion recognition deficits and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). The aims of this study were to investigate: (1) group differences on emotion detection between patients diagnosed with AD or PD and their respective caregivers; (2) the association of emotion detection with empathetic ability and NPS in individuals with AD or PD; (3) caregivers’ depression and perceived burden in relation to patients’ ability to detect emotions, empathize with others, presence of NPS; and (4) caregiver’s awareness of emotion detection deficits in patients with AD or Parkinson.Methods: In this study, patients with probable AD (N = 25) or PD (N = 17), and their caregivers (N = 42), performed an emotion detection task (The Awareness of Social Inference Test—Emotion Evaluation Test, TASIT-EET). Patients underwent cognitive assessment, using the Behavioral Neurology Assessment (BNA). In addition, caregivers completed questionnaires to measure empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI) and NPS (Neuropsychiatric Inventory, NPI) in patients and self-reported on depression (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS) and burden (Zarit Burden Interview, ZBI). Caregivers were also interviewed to measure dementia severity (Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale) in patients.Results: The results suggest that individuals with AD and PD are significantly worse at recognizing emotions than their caregivers. Moreover, caregivers failed to recognize patients’ emotion recognition deficits and this was associated with increased caregiver burden and depression. Patients’ emotion recognition deficits, decreased empathy and NPS were also related to caregiver burden and depression.Conclusions: Changes in emotion detection and empathy in individuals with AD and PD has implications for caregiver burden and depression and may be amenable to interventions with both patients and caregivers.
Highlights
Caregiving for people with dementia has become an issue of international importance
Behavioral changes, which include neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as depression, apathy, anxiety and agitation are prominent in individuals with dementia (Mega et al, 1996)
Some individuals in the Parkinson’s disease (PD) group were on anticonvulsants, central nervous system stimulants, corticosteroids, dopamine agonists, erectile dysfunction, heart medication, hormone replacement therapy, hypoglycemic agents and sedatives
Summary
Caregiving for people with dementia has become an issue of international importance. Dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or Parkinson’s disease (PD) is accompanied by cognitive deficits in multiple domains, such as executive function, attention, memory and visuospatial function (Graham et al, 2004; Verbaan et al, 2007). Behavioral changes, which include neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as depression, apathy, anxiety and agitation are prominent in individuals with dementia (Mega et al, 1996). These NPS, apathy, are associated with severity of cognitive dysfunction. Changes in social cognition occur in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) and can be caused by several factors, including emotion recognition deficits and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). The aims of this study were to investigate: (1) group differences on emotion detection between patients diagnosed with AD or PD and their respective caregivers; (2) the association of emotion detection with empathetic ability and NPS in individuals with AD or PD; (3) caregivers’ depression and perceived burden in relation to patients’ ability to detect emotions, empathize with others, presence of NPS; and (4) caregiver’s awareness of emotion detection deficits in patients with AD or Parkinson
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