title: Anxiety and depressive symptoms in caregivers of multiple sclerosis patients: The role of information processing speed impairment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have high rates of complications and disability, including cognitive impairment, that often, impact on caregivers' emotional health. Clarification may help identify improved supportive strategies for both caregivers and patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to analyse whether MS domain-specific cognitive impairment can influence the severity of psychiatric symptoms of MS caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with definite MS (n=63) and their corresponding caregivers (n=63) were recruited. In addition, 59 matched controls were enrolled for establishing normative cognitive data. Each patient underwent a complete neuropsychological testing for cognitive impairment and thorough clinical assessment, including data of disability status (EDSS), affective and emotional symptoms (depression, anxiety, anger) and fatigue. Psychiatric symptoms of the caregivers were assessed with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In logistic regression analyses, even after controlling for other MS-related symptoms, cognitive deficits, namely impairment on Symbol Digit Modalities Test (OR=8.03, 95% CI=1.27-25.33, p=0.027) and on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (OR=6.86, 95% CI=1.07-21.97, p=0.042), were significant and independent predictors of more severe caregivers' depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Information processing speed impairment is independently associated with more severe depressive symptoms of caregivers of MS patients, thereby reflecting a further deterioration of family setting.
authors: Department of Neurology University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain.
authors: Andrés
authors: A
authors: Labiano-Fontcuberta
authors: Department of Psycho-oncology, Leicestershire Partnership Trust and University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors: Alex J
authors: AJ
authors: Mitchell
authors: Department of Neurology University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Moreno-García
authors: Department of Neurology University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades, Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain; Department of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jbenitol67@gmail.com.
authors: Julián
authors: J
authors: Benito-León
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
keywords: Anger; Caregivers; Cognitive impairment; Depression; Multiple sclerosis; Neuropsychiatric