Do Cognitive Tests Predict Functioning and Caregiver Burden in Dementia?

神经心理学测试在诊断脑损伤方面是有用的， 区分不同形式的痴呆症。然而，虽然我们可以描述特定的认知障碍， 在痴呆患者中，我们无法预测患者可能经历的限制类型， 他/她的日常活动。做出这样的预测是必不可少的，特别是在痴呆症的早期阶段。 患病时需要了解患者和家属的功能能力和局限性。的目的 目前的项目是进一步确定神经心理测试分数之间的关系，实际上， 额颞叶阿尔茨海默病患者的日常功能能力和照顾者负担 痴呆和血管性痴呆。该项目的另一个目标是确定 认知功能下降可以预测患者的功能障碍率和照顾者的比率 负担/压力。这三个患者群体是理想的研究对象，因为1）它们是最常见的 老年痴呆症的形式，和2）他们有不同的认知优势和弱点。 将对患者进行神经心理学测试和日常生活活动测试， 多维照顾者负担量表、精神症状问卷和行为评定 将在两个不同的测试探针处向护理人员施用关于患者的量表（由 约18个月）。预测患者功能限制的能力，以及 根据患者的神经心理学测试和行为评分， 在每组患者中进行评估。对这些关系的了解无疑将使医疗保健 专业人员更有效地使用神经心理学的结果时，规划治疗的病人，他们的 照顾者和他们的家人。

It has been well established that neuropsychological tests are useful in diagnosing brain lesions and differentiating various forms of dementia. However, while we can characterize specific cognitive impairments in patients with dementia, we are unable to predict the type of limitations the patient is likely to experience in his/her daily activities. Making such predictions is essential, particularly in the early stages of a dementing illness when the patient and the family need to know functional capabilities and limitations. The purpose of the current project is to further determine the relationship between neuropsychological test scores, actual everyday functional ability and caregiver burden in patients with Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia. An additional goal of this project is to determine whether the rate of cognitive decline can predict the rate of functional impairment in patients and the rate of caregiver burden/stress. These three patient groups are ideal to study since 1) they are among the most common forms of dementia in the elderly, and 2) they present with different cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Neuropsychological test and activities of daily living tests will be administered to patients, and a multidimensional caregiver burden instrument, psychiatric symptom questionnaires and a behavioral rating scale regarding the patient will administered to caregivers at two different test probes (separated by approximately 18 month intervals). The ability to predict functional limitations in patients, as well as burden of care experienced by caregivers based on the patients' neuropsychological test and behavioral scores will be assessed in each group of patients. Knowledge about these relationships will undoubtedly enable healthcare professionals to more effectively use neuropsychological results when planning treatment for patients, their caregivers and their families.