Experience of companionship among family caregivers of persons with dementia: A qualitative study.

We examined how caregivers experienced the influence of dementia on their relationships with afflicted family members. Family caregivers (n = 15; 11 women and four men; age 39-92 years) of people with dementia participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed according to Kvale and Brinkman. The analysis identified one overarching theme, experiences of companionship, and four subthemes, namely experiences of loss and loneliness; role change; communication alteration; and caring considerations and coping resources. The caregivers described their companionship with the family member, including warm feelings of reciprocity, as well as contradictory feelings, such as feelings of being burdened. They expressed a desire to continue caring for their relative and emphasized the positive aspects of their relationship. Knowledge about dementia, together with a good relationship with their ill family member, facilitated the caring role. These results highlight the importance of receiving information about dementia-related challenges and the implications of being a caregiver.

The coping experiences of spouses of persons with dementia.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore how spouses who are caregivers to persons with dementia experience everyday life 6-12 months after participation in the intervention condition in the Norwegian Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Early Dementia (N-CORDIAL) study. BACKGROUND: There is no current medical curative treatment for cognitive impairment and dementia-associated conditions. These conditions will lead to an increased need for daily assistance and care, as well as greater stress for caregivers. The Norwegian CORDIAL Study is a manual-based randomised controlled trial based on the German CORDIAL study (cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive behavioural treatment for early dementia in Alzheimer's disease), consisting of cognitive rehabilitation, cognitive behavioural therapy and life review methods. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive exploratory study with qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews with six spouses of persons with dementia who had participated in the Norwegian CORDIAL study. The transcribed text was analysed by systematic text condensation. RESULT: The main theme identified, "An everyday search for meaning," referred to the stress experienced by the caregivers and their coping strategies in everyday life. CONCLUSION: The caregivers had gained increased awareness of coping strategies in everyday life 6-12 months after the intervention. Caregivers who experienced fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms in their spouses with dementia benefitted most from the intervention. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The study is relevant to clinical practice as interventions focusing on how to improve coping strategies may reduce caregiver stress and contribute to postponement of nursing home placement.

Manual-based cognitive behavioral and cognitive rehabilitation therapy for young-onset dementia: a case report.

There is a growing attention worldwide to young-onset dementia (YOD) and this group's special challenges and needs. The literature on psychosocial interventions for this population is scarce, and little is known about the specific challenges and benefits of working therapeutically with this group of patients. The aim of this study was to explore if a manual-based structured cognitive behavioral/cognitive rehabilitation program would be beneficial for these patients. One case, a 63-year-old woman with YOD, is presented to illustrate how this intervention can be applied to individual patients to manage depressive symptoms in YOD.

Challenges With Manual-Based Multimodal Psychotherapy for People With Alzheimer's Disease: A Case Study.

Earlier detection of dementia requires increased knowledge of how to help people in the early stages of dementia. However, few studies have focused on how psychotherapy should be adapted to improve the outcome of therapy for people with Alzheimer's disease. The aims of the present study were to identify and to explore possible obstacles encountered during the use of manual-based psychotherapy for people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The study found that individual adaptations to the treatment manual were necessary, particularly the modification of memory aids in order to adapt them to patients' functional level and previous experience with modern technology. In addition, caregivers were essential for both treatment and homework completion, while reduced awareness constituted an obstacle for adherence to the manual.

Polygenic Overlap Between C-Reactive Protein, Plasma Lipids, and Alzheimer Disease.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological findings suggest a relationship between Alzheimer disease (AD), inflammation, and dyslipidemia, although the nature of this relationship is not well understood. We investigated whether this phenotypic association arises from a shared genetic basis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using summary statistics (P values and odds ratios) from genome-wide association studies of >200 000 individuals, we investigated overlap in single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with clinically diagnosed AD and C-reactive protein (CRP), triglycerides, and high- and low-density lipoprotein levels. We found up to 50-fold enrichment of AD single-nucleotide polymorphisms for different levels of association with C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride single-nucleotide polymorphisms using a false discovery rate threshold <0.05. By conditioning on polymorphisms associated with the 4 phenotypes, we identified 55 loci associated with increased AD risk. We then conducted a meta-analysis of these 55 variants across 4 independent AD cohorts (total: n=29 054 AD cases and 114 824 healthy controls) and discovered 2 genome-wide significant variants on chromosome 4 (rs13113697; closest gene, HS3ST1; odds ratio=1.07; 95% confidence interval=1.05-1.11; P=2.86×10(-8)) and chromosome 10 (rs7920721; closest gene, ECHDC3; odds ratio=1.07; 95% confidence interval=1.04-1.11; P=3.38×10(-8)). We also found that gene expression of HS3ST1 and ECHDC3 was altered in AD brains compared with control brains. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate genetic overlap between AD, C-reactive protein, and plasma lipids. By conditioning on the genetic association with the cardiovascular phenotypes, we identify novel AD susceptibility loci, including 2 genome-wide significant variants conferring increased risk for AD.

Brief Tests such as the Clock Drawing Test or Cognistat Can Be Useful Predictors of Conversion from MCI to Dementia in the Clinical Assessment of Outpatients.

BACKGROUND: The identification of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who are at high risk of conversion to dementia is a challenging clinical task. AIMS: To investigate whether simple cognitive screening tests can predict the conversion from MCI to dementia and to study the impact of different patient characteristics on the progression rate. METHODS: A retrospective, longitudinal study of 90 outpatients diagnosed with MCI at a psychogeriatric clinic in Norway was conducted. Baseline scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (Cognistat) were related to ICD-10 diagnosis during 46 months. The influence of demographic, life situational, and clinical data were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients were diagnosed with dementia, significantly more females (82%) than males (50%) (p < 0.01). Low scores on the CDT [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.85; 95% CI 0.73-0.97; p = 0.020] and Cognistat (adjusted HR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.65-0.93; p = 0.007) significantly predicted the conversion from MCI to dementia, whereas the MMSE score did not. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of patients converted from MCI to dementia within 46 months, and females seem to be at higher risk. CDT and Cognistat significantly predicted the conversion from MCI to dementia and are therefore considered appropriate tests in clinical practice.

The effect of coping on the burden in family carers of persons with dementia.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the association between coping, measured by the extent of locus of control, and the burden of care on family carers of persons with dementia (PWD). METHOD: Two hundred thirty PWD living at home and their family carers were recruited from 20 Norwegian municipalities. The carers' burden was assessed by the Relatives' Stress Scale (RSS) and coping by the Locus of Control Behaviour Scale. The PWD were assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q), the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS), the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, and the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE). RESULTS: Locus of control (LoC) was found to be the most important factor associated with the burden on carers of PWD, even when we had controlled for the PWD variables, such as the NPI-Q score. The LoC and the carer's use of hours per day to assist the PWD were the only two variables the carers found that affected the extent of the burden. The NPI-Q was the most important variable in the PWD that affected the burden on the carers. CONCLUSION: Carers who believe that what happens to them is the consequence of their own actions are likely to be less burdened than carers not expecting to have control. This finding gives a possibility to identify carers with a high risk of burden.

The quality of life of people with dementia and their family carers.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify factors associated with the quality of life (QoL) of 'persons with dementia' (PWDs) and their family carers. METHOD: Two-hundred and thirty dyads of PWDs and their family carers were included. The PWDs were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q), two Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scales, the Cornell Scale and the QoL-Alzheimer's Disease scale (QoL-AD; self- and proxy-reported scores). The carers were assessed with the QoL-AD and the Geriatric Depression Scale. RESULTS: Factors associated with self-reported QoL were depression (ß = -0.26, p < 0.001) and impaired ADL (ß = -0.26, p < 0.001) and with proxy-rated QoL were NPI (ß = -0.18, p = 0.02), depression (ß = -0.32, p < 0.001) and impaired ADL (ß = -0.43, p < 0.001). Factors associated with QoL in carers living together with the PWDs were depression (ß = -0.56, p < 0.001) and having a hobby (ß = 0.19, p = 0.01), whereas depression was associated with QoL in those who lived separately from the PWD (ß = -0.60, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Depression and impaired ADL were associated with the self- and proxy-rated QoL of the PWDs, whereas depression in the carers negatively affected their QoL.