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Selected Works of Joann Tschanz
Article
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Patients with Dementia and the Longitudinal Costs of Informal Care in the Cache County Population
Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions
  • Gail B. Rattinger, Binghamton University
  • Chelsea L. Sanders, Utah State University
  • Elizabeth Vernon, Utah State University
  • Sarah E. Schwartz, Utah State University
  • Stephanie Behrens, Utah State University
  • Constantine G. Lyketsos, John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  • JoAnn T. Tschanz, Utah State University
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Document Type
Article
Publisher
Elsevier
Publication Date
3-11-2019
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0
Disciplines
Abstract

Introduction

Severity of dementia and neuropsychiatric symptoms contribute to increasing informal care costs. We examined which neuropsychiatric symptoms subdomains (NPS-SD) were associated with informal costs in a population-based sample. Methods

Dementia progression and informal costs (2015 dollars) were estimated from the Cache County Dementia Progression Study. Overall NPS and specific NPS-SD were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE with gamma-distribution/log-link) modeled the relationship between NPS-SDs and informal cost trajectories. Results

Two hundred eighty participants (52.1% female; age M = 85.67, SD = 5.60) exhibited an adjusted cost increase of 5.6% (P = .005), 6.4% (P < .001), 7.6% (P = .030), and 13% (P = .024) for every increasing Neuropsychiatric Inventory unit in psychosis-SD, affective-SD, agitation/aggression-SD, and apathy-SD, respectively. An increase in each unit of apathy was associated with a 2% annual decrease in costs (P = .040). Discussion

We extend our prior work on informal costs and dementia severity by identifying NPS-SD associated with informal costs. Interventions targeting NPS-SD may lower informal costs.

Citation Information
Rattinger, Gail B., et al. “Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Patients with Dementia and the Longitudinal Costs of Informal Care in the Cache County Population.” Alzheimers & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, vol. 5, 2019, pp. 81–88. doi:10.1016/j.trci.2019.01.002.