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In this study increased carer burden was related independently to increased levels of patient behaviour disturbance and decreased levels of informal social support. This may have relevance to appropriate interventions for carers. As the study was based on a convenience sample of memory clinic attenders, replication in less highly selected samples is desirable.

The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the clock drawing task (CDT) in differentiating between patients with mild and very mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and normal controls. Thirty normal elderly individuals and 30 patients with probable AD were entered into the study and asked, in a standard fashion, to draw a clock from memory. All the clocks were scored according to two previously described standardized scoring systems, and the accuracy of classification into normal or AD groups was determined. Both CDT scales could discriminate between moderate AD and normal aging but lacked sensitivity in the very mild AD cases; mild cases showed intermediate sensitivity. In conclusion, the CDT as a test for AD is insensitive in the early-stage cases, but sensitivity improves with increasing severity of dementia. The CDT is unlikely to be useful in distinguishing between AD in its early stages and normal aging.

This study compiucd key comlates of caregiver stress in 50 Alzheimer's diseasc patients and their primary caregivers. in relation to three outcome measures -perceived burden, psychological well-being, and quality of life (QoL). These were evaluated using the Zarit Burden Interview. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ30), and Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual QoL (SEIQoL-DW) respectively. Informal social support was evaluated on Vaux's Social Support Appraisal Scale. Patients' cognitive. functional, and behaviwral status were rated on Mini-Mental State Examination, Blessed-Roth Dementia Scale. and Baumgarten Dementia Behaviour Disturbwe Scale respectively. Standardid multiple regression analysis was used to compare the outcome measures. In this model burden was highly related to behaviour disturbance. and also to social support (adjusted p = 0.45). Well-being was significantly related to behaviour disturbance, and also to functional status (adjusted R1=0.40). With regard to QoL the model performed poorly as most of the variance in QoL was not accounted for by the model (adjusted p10.14). These findings highlight differences in factors determining caregiver QoL. burden and well-being.