title: Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease: Impact on Caregiver Outcomes.
abstract: Recent attempts to standardise the definition of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Parkinson's disease (PD) by the Movement Disorder Society Task Force has led to a greater understanding of this entity but to date, there has been a paucity of research regarding the impact of PD-MCI on caregiver outcomes.
  
  
  
  The aim of this study was to utilise the newly established PD-MCI diagnostic criteria to investigate caregiver outcomes in relation to four specific aspects: (1) caregiver burden, (2) quality of life (QoL), (3) caregiving experience, and (4) psychological distress.
  
  
  
  This study included a total of 166 patient-caregiver dyads. Caregiver outcomes including quality of life, caregiver burden, mood disturbances, and caregiver experience were compared between caregivers of PD patients classified as having normal cognition (PD-NC) and PD-MCI.
  
  
  
  Despite the two groups being matched on demographic and clinical features, caregivers of PD-MCI patients reported a lower level of QoL with regard to physical health and more interruptions with usual activities. On the other hand, a higher impact on finances was reported in caregivers of PD-NC patients, relative to caregivers of PD-MCI patients.
  
  
  
  This study has shown that even at earlier stages of cognitive impairment, PD-MCI caregivers already experience elevated levels of distress in the role of providing care to their care-recipients. These findings highlight the need to include management of caregiver distress and associated sequelae alongside the management of PD-MCI patients, early on in the disease course.
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer Y Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Healthy Brain Ageing Program, School of Psychology, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mowszowski
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Moran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilat
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Courtney C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Healthy Brain Ageing Program, School of Psychology, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Naismith
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon J G
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Mild cognitive impairment; Parkinson’s disease; caregiver burden; caregiver outcomes; quality of life