Objective: To assess the impact of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and atypical-parkinsonism (AP) on primary care giver among Indian population using Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) scale.

Background: PD and AP are complex, progressive, neurodegenerative condition characterized by clinical manifestations of motor problems leading to partial or complete dependency on their primary care taker. As the disease progress, the care taker burden also increases. However, there is paucity of literature, especially in Indian context to understand this caregiver burden.

Method: Primary caregivers of subjects with PD and AP were interviewed prospectively using the ZBI between October to December 2019. The outcomes of this interview were compared with current age, age at onset, gender, type of parkinsonism, disease duration and other demographic profiles.

Results: Hundred caregivers were interviewed [PD:69 ; AP:31]. The mean age of patients was: 63.6 years (Range: 30-87yrs; M:F-62:38) and duration of symptom’s was 6.3 years (Range:1-32yrs). Among the whole group the mean was burden of relationship was 11.3±5.9 (Range:0-22); burden of emotional wellbeing:11.5±6.7 (Range :0-23), burden of social & family life: 6.4±3.8 (Range:0-15), financial burden: 1.52±1.2 (Range:0-4) ; burden of loss of control over one’s life was 6.9±4.4 (Range:0-16). It was found that the duration of symptoms significantly influenced on the Total Burden (P=0.011), burden of relationship (p=-.008), Emotional well being (p=0.02), Burden of social and family life (p=0.01) and burden of loss of control over ones life (p=0.009).   However the same was not noted in relation to the financial burden with duration of symptoms (p=0.17).  Burden did not differ between gender or PD/AP. The burden of relationship increased with increasing age at onset of  PD/AP(p=0.047)

Conclusion: The care giver burdens tends to increase in various domains with increased duration of symptoms, albeit the same was not noted in relation to the financial burden.  It was also noted that the burden tends to increase significantly in care givers with later age of onset of symptoms.  Interventions which specially address the affected domains would help in reducing the caregiver burnouts.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/care-giver-burden-in-parkinsons-disease-and-atypical-parkinsonism-in-indian-patients-using-zarit-burden-interview-scale/