title: Comparison of QOL between patients with different degenerative dementias, focusing especially on positive and negative affect.
abstract: Quality of life (QOL) has become an important outcome measure in the care of dementia patients. However, there have been few studies focusing on the difference in QOL between different dementias.
  
  
  
  Two-hundred seventy-nine consecutive outpatients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) or frontotemporal dementia (FTD) were recruited. The QOL was evaluated objectively using the QOL Questionnaire for Dementia (QOL-D).The QOL-D comprises six domains: positive affect, negative affect and actions, communication, restlessness, attachment to others, and spontaneity. General cognition, daily activities, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia were also evaluated.
  
  
  
  The scores of positive affect of QOL-D of AD patients were significantly higher than those of patients with DLB or FTD (AD 3.1 ± 0.8, DLB 2.6 ± 0.9, FTD 2.6 ± 0.7). The scores of negative affect and action of QOL-D of FTD patients were significantly higher than those of patients with AD or DLB (FTD 2.0 ± 0.8, AD 1.4 ± 0.5, DLB 1.5 ± 0.6). The apathy scores of FTD and DLB patients were significantly higher than those of patients with AD. The disinhibition scores of FTD patients were significantly higher than those of patients with AD or DLB.
  
  
  
  The apathy of FTD and DLB patients and depression of DLB patients might affect the lower positive affect of FTD and DLB patients compared to AD patients. The disinhibition of FTD patients might affect the abundance of negative affect & actions in FTD patients compared to AD and DLB patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Kairi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurisu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Seishi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Nao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Kawasaki Medical School,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry,Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine,Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Okayama,Japan.
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D057180:Frontotemporal Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; dementia; dementia with Lewy bodies; frontotemporal dementia; negative affect; positive affect; quality of life (QOL)