Sleep quality in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease and its relationship to quality of life.
BACKGROUND
Knowledge about sleep complaints of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) is limited, and we lack information about the relationship between caregivers' sleep problems and their quality of life (QoL).


METHODS
We evaluated subjective sleep quality and its relationship to QoL in a group of 80 caregivers of patients with AD (ADCG, n = 40) and PD (PDCG, n = 40), and in 150 controls. Information about night-time complaints was collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). QoL was measured using the McGill QoL Questionnaire.


RESULTS
Eighteen ADCG (45%), 22 PDCG (55%), and 45 (30%) controls reported poor sleep quality. Mean global PSQI score of PDCG (6.25 ± 3.9) was not significantly different from that of ADCG (5.8 ± 3.5; p = 0.67). However, both PDCG and ADCG scored significantly higher than control group (4.3 ± 3.1; p < 0.01). ADCG frequently reported difficulties falling asleep (72.5%) and disturbed sleep (100%). PDCG reported reduced subjective sleep quality (80%) and increased sleep disturbances (100%). Poor sleep quality was associated with depressive symptoms and correlated with QoL in caregivers of both groups, particularly the psychological symptoms domain.


CONCLUSIONS
Among caregivers of patients with AD and PD, poor sleep quality is frequent and significantly linked to QoL and depressive symptoms. Identifying the nature of sleep disturbances not only in patients but also in their caregivers is important as appropriate treatment may lead to a better management of the needs of families coping with these patients.
Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche (BioNeC), Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Chiara
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Cupidi
Sabrina
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Realmuto
Gianluca
G
Lo Coco
Antonio
A
Cinturino
Simona
S
Talamanca
Valentina
V
Arnao
Valentina
V
Perini
Tommaso
T
Piccoli
Marco
M
D'Amelio
Giovanni
G
Savettieri
Daniele
D
Lo Coco
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires