Session Information
Date: Monday, June 5, 2017
Session Title: Quality Of Life/Caregiver Burden in Movement Disorders
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Exhibit Hall C
Objective: The primary aim of this study was to identify patient characteristics that impact the caregiver burden in Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Singapore
Background: PD is a neurodegenerative disorder causing progressive motor and non-motor symptoms that may contribute to caregiver burden.
Methods: A total of 104 patients and caregivers were recruited from Singapore General Hospital Movement Disorders clinic. Caregiver burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden Inventory, while patients were evaluated on motor (Hoehn and Yahr Scale (H&Y), Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRSm)) and non-motor symptoms (Non-Motor Symptom Scale), and Health Related Quality of Life (Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 items (PDQ-39)). ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-Square tests were performed to identify significant differences in the no or little, mild to moderate and high caregiver burden subgroups.
Results: The high versus moderate caregiver burden subgroups consisted of patients with more progressed disease: mean duration 9.63 versus 6.12 years (p<0.01), 56.3% were H&Y Stage 3 or greater with mean levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD) of 556 mg and had higher frequency and severity of mood symptoms with NMSS Domain 3 median score of 8.0 versus 1.0 (p=0.009) and PDQ-39 domain 3 of 35.4 versus 16.7 (p=0.014). The moderate versus no-or little caregiver burden subgroups showed a marked increase in PDQ-39 self-reporting of mobility issues (40.0 versus 22.5, p=0.015), activities of daily living (ADL) dependency (25.0 versus 8.3, p<0.01) and higher NMSS Sleep/fatigue scores (8 versus 5, p<0.01).
Conclusions:
Greater caregiver burden was more likely in patients with more progressed disease, poorer therapeutic control of motor symptoms, and having more frequent and severe mood symptoms. Early heralding signs of caregiver burden may include increasing self-reported mobility issues, ADL dependency, sleep disturbances and fatigue.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
K. Prakash, E.-K. Tan. Patient characteristics that impact caregiver burden in Parkinson’s disease in Singapore [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2017; 32 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/patient-characteristics-that-impact-caregiver-burden-in-parkinsons-disease-in-singapore/. Accessed May 21, 2025.« Back to 2017 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/patient-characteristics-that-impact-caregiver-burden-in-parkinsons-disease-in-singapore/