Caregiver burden in patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and non-fluent variant and semantic variant primary progressive aphasia

Studies on caregiver burden in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration are rare, differ methodologically and show variable results. Single center longitudinal pilot study on caregiver burden and potential risk factors in patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and semantic (svPPA) and non-fluent variants (nfvPPA) primary progressive aphasia. Forty-six bvFTD, nine svPPA, and six nfvPPA patients and caring relatives were analysed for up to 2 years using the Mini-Mental State Examination as global measure for cognitive performance, Frontal Assessment Battery (frontal lobe functions), Frontal Behavioural Inventory (personality and behaviour), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (dementia-related neuropsychiatric symptoms), Barthel Index and Lawton IADL Scale (basic and instrumental activities of daily living), the Caregiver Strain Index (CSI), and in most participants also the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). CSI baseline sum scores were highest in bvFTD (mean ± SD 5.5 ± 3.4, median 5, IQR 6), intermediate in svPPA (2.9 ± 2.3; 3; 3.5) and low in nfvPPA (1.6 ± 2.1; 1; 2). Similar differences of caregiver burden were found using the ZBI. During follow-up, CSI and ZBI sum scores deteriorated in svPPA, not in bvFTD and nfvPPA, and correlated significantly with personality and behaviour, neuropsychiatric symptoms, caregiver age, and instrumental, but not basic activities of daily living, Mini-Mental State Examination scores or frontal lobe functions. This study reveals differences in caregiver burden in variants of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Caregivers should be systematically asked for caregiver burden from the time of the diagnosis to provide comprehensive support in time.