Caregiver assessment of patients' depression in Alzheimer disease: longitudinal analysis in a drug treatment study.
OBJECTIVE
Caregiver input is important in the assessment of depression in Alzheimer disease (AD), but depression and subjective burden can bias this input.


METHODS
In a 12-week, controlled, clinical trial of sertraline in depressed AD patients, authors correlated caregiver mood and subjective burden on several patient mood measures, incorporating varied degrees of caregiver input.


RESULTS
Caregiver variables accounted for up to 33% of the variance in patient mood ratings. Caregiver depression and burden decreased regardless of treatment assignment.


CONCLUSIONS
Caregiver depression and burden affect their rating of AD patients' mood, but the majority of variance is due to patient characteristics.
Rosenberg
Paul B
PB
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway #308, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. prosenb9@jhmi.edu
Mielke
Michelle M
MM
Lyketsos
Constantine G
CG
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015982:Bias; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D020280:Sertraline