Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a source of
distress and burden for caregivers. This study was designed to determine the relationship between
BPSD and their impact on caregivers. Methods: The subjects were 144 participants with dementia
living with their caregivers. There were 98 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and 46 vascular
dementia (VaD) patients. Burden Interviews and the Caregiver Burden Inventory, the Korean
version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI), were conducted by face-to-face interviews
with the caregivers. Results: Approximately seventy percent of the caregivers were women, and
their mean age was 54-yr-old. Forty-two percent of the caregivers were spouses. Among the individuals
with dementia, apathy/indifference, depression, agitation/aggression, irritability/lability
and anxiety were found in the highest frequencies. Caregiver burden was associated with apathy/
indifference, disinhibition, irritability/lability, anxiety, and appetite/eating disorders in the K-NPI.
There were significant correlations of K-NPI subscale scores of agitation, anxiety, apathy/indifference,
irritability/lability, disinhibition, aberrant motor behavior, and appetite/eating disorders
with caregiver burden. Multiple regression analysis revealed that disinhibition and irritability/lability
were independently associated with caregiver burden. Conclusions: Our study demonstratedthat
caregiver burden is affected more by the demented patient’s BPSD than conditions due
to their decreased cognitive functions. These findings suggest that some symptoms such as
disinhibition, and irritability/lability may affect the caregiver burden significantly.
Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a source of
distress and burden for caregivers. This study was designed to determine the relationship between
BPSD and their impact on caregivers. Methods: The subjects were 144 participants with dementia
living with their caregivers. There were 98 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and 46 vascular
dementia (VaD) patients. Burden Interviews and the Caregiver Burden Inventory, the Korean
version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI), were conducted by face-to-face interviews
with the caregivers. Results: Approximately seventy percent of the caregivers were women, and
their mean age was 54-yr-old. Forty-two percent of the caregivers were spouses. Among the individuals
with dementia, apathy/indifference, depression, agitation/aggression, irritability/lability
and anxiety were found in the highest frequencies. Caregiver burden was associated with apathy/
indifference, disinhibition, irritability/lability, anxiety, and appetite/eating disorders in the K-NPI.
There were significant correlations of K-NPI subscale scores of agitation, anxiety, apathy/indifference,
irritability/lability, disinhibition, aberrant motor behavior, and appetite/eating disorders
with caregiver burden. Multiple regression analysis revealed that disinhibition and irritability/lability
were independently associated with caregiver burden. Conclusions: Our study demonstratedthat
caregiver burden is affected more by the demented patient’s BPSD than conditions due
to their decreased cognitive functions. These findings suggest that some symptoms such as
disinhibition, and irritability/lability may affect the caregiver burden significantly.