Vascular Dementia Versus Dementia of Alzheimer's Type: Do They Have Differential Effects on Caregivers' Burden?

Abstract

Objectives.We investigated homecare patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT; n = 36) or vascular dementia (VD; n = 36) and their care-providing relatives regarding clinical and psychosocial variables to determine whether DAT and VD impose different burdens on caregivers.Method. All patients were diagnosed according to ICD-10 criteria. The diagnoses were confirmed by internal medical, clinical-neurological, and psychiatric parameters. The severity of the dementias was graded according to the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). Caregiving relatives responded to the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BAD), the Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS), and the Screen for Caregiver Burden (SCB).Results. Analyses revealed that caregivers' burden (SCB), disease symptoms and personality changes of patients (BAD), and the patients' inability to cope with everyday tasks (BDS) were sharply higher for DAT than for VD patients in the group with severe dementia. Concerning patients with mild or moderately severe disease, scores in the DAT group were similar or lower than those in the VD group.Conclusion. In early stages, VD patients impose a greater burden on relatives than do patients with DAT. In severe stages this relationship undergoes a reversal, with relatives of DAT patients experiencing the burden more adversely than those of VD patients. The differences in the onset and course characteristics, as well as the specific differences between these two types of dementia with respect to caregiver burden factors, call for their diagnostic separation and the development of specific homecare support systems for family caregivers.

Caregiver Burden for Impaired Elderly Japanese with Prevalent Stroke and Dementia under Long-Term Care Insurance System

“…Stroke and dementia cause disability in activities of daily living (ADL), cognitive impairment and behavioral disturbance, all of which increase caregiver burden [8, 11, 13, 14]. Furthermore, caregiver burden was not associated with type of dementia, that is, vascular or Alzheimer’s types [10, 26]. These findings, together with our present results, suggest that although both stroke and dementia increase caregiver burden, the presence of stroke for the demented elderly does not affect the caregiver burden.…”

Cognitive and neuroimaging predictors of instrumental activities of daily living

“…Deficits in daily living skills are related to increased distress and reduced quality of life for the patient and caregiver as well as increased use of healthcare services (Hope et al, 1998;Severson et al, 1994;Vetter et al, 1999). Given the significant burden of functional impairments on the patients, caregivers, and care providers, identification of factors that best predict future decline in daily functioning has important clinical implications.…”

Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia (BPSD) and Its Impact on Caregiver Burden

“…Previous reports suggest that caregiver burden differs by type of dementia and disease progression. In a study by Vetter et al 28 , patients with early stage VaD imposed a greater burden on caregivers than did patients with AD. As time progresses, this relationship reverses, and caregivers of patients with AD report greater burden than do caregivers of patients with VaD.In our study, more patients of AD presents to us late than patients of VaD, but patients of VaD scores poorly than AD on Blessed dementia Scale.…”