Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease Patients Are Associated with Reduced Health-Related Quality of Life and Increased Caregiver Burden.

Hannah Von Eichel,Martin Klietz,Florian Wegner,Günter U Höglinger,Stephanie Stiel,Sophia Rogozinski,Johanne Heine,Lea Krey,Adrian Groh

doi:10.3390/brainsci12010089

Hannah Von Eichel, Martin Klietz + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12010089

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Journal: Brain sciences	Publication Date: Jan 11, 2022
Citations: 16	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Hannover Medical School

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting in reduced health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of people with PD (PwP) and their caregivers. Furthermore, there is an accumulating burden on caregivers of patients in advanced stages of the disease. In previous studies, motor- and non-motor-symptoms of PwP have been identified to contribute to reduced HR-QoL and an increased caregiver burden. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to study the influence of neuropsychiatric symptoms measured with the Scale for Evaluation of Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease (SEND-PD) questionnaire on the HR-QoL of PwP, as well as the caregiver burden. Analyses revealed a significant association between SEND-PD subscale mood/apathy and reduced HR-QoL in PwP, measured by the Parkinson’s disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-8) (p < 0.001). Furthermore, mood/apathy was significantly correlated with caregiver burden (p = 0.001) in the multiple linear regression analysis. Hence, neuropsychiatric symptoms were found to have a profound impact on the HR-QoL of PwP, as well as on caregiver burden. Since neuropsychiatric symptoms were one of the main predictors for caregiver burden, physicians of PwP should treat these symptoms to stabilize caregiver burden, as well as HR-QoL in PwP and their caregivers.

Highlights

Introduction iationsParkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder with progressive restrictions in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and loss of patient’s autonomy in advanced stages [1]
The aim of the present study was to analyze the impact of neuropsychiatric symptoms determined by the SEND-PD on patients’ and caregivers’ HR-QoL as well as the burden of the informal caregiver measured by the disease-specific PD caregiver burden questionnaire (PDCB)
Consistent with this, in our cohort, higher caregiver burden measured by the disease-specific PDCB significantly correlated with higher SEND-PD mood/apathy scores, in the present study, it was not possible to differentiate between People with PD (PwP) with and without dementia due to the design of the study

Summary

Introduction

Introduction iationsParkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder with progressive restrictions in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and loss of patient’s autonomy in advanced stages [1]. Mostly family members, and especially spouses undertake the care of the patient and become the informal caregiver. In several cases, additional professional caregivers or institutionalization of the patient are inevitable [2,3]. In Germany, the prevalence of PD is about 0.5% of the general population. Prevalence and incidence are increasing with higher age [4]. People with PD (PwP) suffer from the classical motor symptoms of tremor at rest, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. James Parkinson already observed non-motor symptoms like cognitive decline, anxiety, depressive mood, and hallucinations in the famous “essay on the shaking palsy” [5]. The impact of non-motor symptoms on HR-QoL

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