title: Behavioural But Not Cognitive Impairment Is a Determinant of Caregiver Burden in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Caregivers of patients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are involved with great determination in the treatment process since the earliest stages of the disease with an increasing burden to be of help to the ailing persons.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test separately the impact of ALS patients' cognitive and behavioural impairments on caregiver burden and mood status in 84 outpatient/main caregiver couples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were tested with the ALS-Cognitive Behavioural Screen (ALSCBS-ci and -bi), Frontal Assessment Battery, Weigl's Sorting Test, Mini-Mental State Examination, Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). Analogously, caregivers completed the BDI and Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CBI correlated with ALSCBS-bi, besides ALSFRS-R, disease progression index and caregiver BDI. Caregiver BDI also correlated with ALSCBS-bi scores. No correlations were found with cognitive tests. The correlation between CBI and the ALSCBS-bi score was specifically sustained by the social burden sub-domain of CBI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As previously reported using other tools, behavioural impairment is a determinant of burden and mood in ALS caregivers. Conversely, cognitive impairment fails to emerge as a major target when aiming at easing the increasing burden or improving mood in ALS caregivers.
authors.affiliation: ALS Center, Neurology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tremolizzo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Susani
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lunetta
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Woolley
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrarese
authors.forename: Ildebrando
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Appollonio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology