title: Health-related quality of life among community-dwelling patients with intractable neurological diseases and their caregivers in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were: (i) to clarify the general quality of life (QOL) of patients with intractable neurological disease; (ii) to clarify the general QOL of the caregivers of these patients; and (iii) to explore the association of QOL in patient-caregiver pairs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2003 and May 2004 among community-dwelling patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD), spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers using a mailed, self-administered questionnaire. To measure QOL, we used the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) for patients and the short form of the health-related QOL scale SF-36 (SF-8) for caregivers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 418 questionnaires were analyzed. For the patients, all of the general QOL domains of the SF-36 were significantly lower than the national standard value for all of the diagnoses. Physical function, role physical, and role emotional domains were also low. For caregivers, all of the QOL summary scores of the SF-8 for all diagnoses were significantly lower than the national standard value. Although there were several significant correlations of QOL between patients and caregivers, overall the correlations were low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Support for patients with neurological diseases and their caregivers is needed in order to maintain physical and mental QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Nursing, Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. miyasita-tky@umin.net
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.forename: Yugo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Narita
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Norikazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kayama
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzukamo
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000523:psychology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires