title: Factors associated with caregivers' underestimation of quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with differences between how Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and their caregivers rate the patient's health-related quality of life (QoL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, multicentre study. Patients were 65 years or more, suffering from mild to moderate AD, native French speakers, with a main caregiver. Interrater agreement of the QoL-AD was assessed using the intraclass coefficient. A generalised linear model was used to identify factors related to the difference in health-related QoL scores between patients and their caregivers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 122 patients of the study were 82 ± 6 years old and mainly women (69%). Independent factors related to the difference between patients and caregivers were: Mini Mental State Exam score (β = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.05-0.59); instrumental activities of daily living score (β = -0.61; 95% CI = -1.14 to -0.07); total Neuropsychiatric Inventory score (β = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.05-0.59), and Zarit's burden score (β = 0.09; 95% CI = 0.01-0.17).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practitioners must take into account the trend towards underestimation when health-related QoL is rated by caregivers or proxies.
authors.affiliation: University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France.
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Novella
authors.forename: Moustapha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dramé
authors.forename: Rachid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.forename: Coralie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbe
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: di Pollina
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pfitzenmeyer
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rouaud
authors.forename: Marie-Yvonne
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ankri
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jolly
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors