title: Comorbid psychosocial symptoms and quality of life in patients with dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined the association between treatable comorbid psychosocial symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with dementia. In an effort to develop a more comprehensive understanding of this relationship, this study included both patient reports of their QOL and caregiver reports of patient QOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine dyads, consisting of a community-residing veteran with dementia and his family caregiver, were interviewed once to determine the correlation between patient QOL and depression, functional disability, pain, and agitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher patient-rated QOL was significantly associated with lower patient depression. Higher caregiver-rated patient QOL was associated with lower caregiver depression and higher patient functional status. Agitation was not related to patient-rated or caregiver-rated patient QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Authors discuss the psychometric and conceptual implications of possible differences between self- and other-ratings of QOL, and treatment implications for caregiver-education interventions.
authors.affiliation: Houston Center For Quality of Care and Utilization Studies, Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA. asnow@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: A Lynn
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Souchek
authors.forename: Greer
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Carol M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ashton
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kunik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013781:Texas; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*