title: Leisure activities, caregiving demands and catecholamine levels in dementia caregivers.
abstract: This study examined whether satisfaction from leisure activities moderates the relationship between caregiving demands (i.e., hours per day spent caring for a spouse with dementia) and resting levels of the catecholamines norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI). Spousal caregivers (n = 107; mean age = 73.95 ± 8.12 years) were assessed in home for plasma levels of NE and EPI, amount of care provided, and leisure satisfaction. Regression was used to determine whether leisure satisfaction moderated the relationship between hours providing care per day and catecholamine levels. A significant interaction was found between hours caregiving and leisure satisfaction for NE, but not for EPI. Post hoc regressions were conducted for both NE and EPI. At low leisure satisfaction, time spent caring for a spouse was positively associated with plasma NE (β = 0.41; p = 0.005) and EPI (β = 0.44; p = 0.003). In contrast, at high levels of satisfaction, time caregiving was not significantly associated with plasma NE (β = -0.08; p = 0.57) or EPI (β = 0.23; p = 0.12). These findings suggest that leisure satisfaction may protect caregivers from increases in catecholamines, which have been implicated in cardiovascular risk. Further support for these findings may impact psychological treatments for distressed caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Chattillion
authors.forename: Brent T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Mausbach
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Roepke
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Känel
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dimsdale
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ancoli-Israel
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017028:Caregivers; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine