P01-370 - Impact on caregivers from sleep disturbances is higher in dementia with lewy bodies as compared to Alzheimer's dementia

Abstract

BackgroundBehavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia are known to increase caregiver stress and proceed admission to a nursing home. We studied caregiver stress due to the impact of sleep disturbances in different types of mild dementia.MethodA sample of 151 persons with mild dementia from the Norwegian DEMWEST- cohort and their caregivers. Sleep problems in dementia were studied with the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Caregiver stress was studied with the Relative's Stress Scale.ResultsCaring for a person with mild dementia with any sleep disturbance significantly increased caregiver stress as compared to caring for a person with mild dementia without any sleep disturbances. (18.2 vs. 13.0, p=0.017) Caregivers to patients diagnosed as having mild Dementia with Lewybodies with any sleep disturbance reported significantly more stress as compared to caregivers to person with mild Alzheimer's Disease with any sleep disturbance. (14.7 vs. 21.7 p=0.010).ConclusionSleep disturbances in mild dementia significantly impact on caregiver stress, more so in DLB as compared to AD.