6533b82cfe1ef96bd128ff28
RESEARCH PRODUCT
The role of mind theory in patients affected by neurodegenerative disorders and impact on caregiver burden
Caterina FormicaFrancesco CoralloAlessia BramantiAngela MarraAntonella AlagnaSimona De SalvoAntonino TodaroLilla BonannoSilvia Marinosubject
MaleEmotionsTheory of MindDiseaseFronto-temporal dementia03 medical and health sciences0302 clinical medicineSocial cognitionAlzheimer DiseasePhysiology (medical)Theory of mindmental disordersActivities of Daily Livingmedicine80 and overDementiaHumansIn patientCognitive DysfunctionAlzheimer disease; Caregiver; Dementia; Fronto-temporal dementia; Mild cognitive impairment; Theory of mind; Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease; Caregivers; Cognitive Dysfunction; Emotions; Female; Frontotemporal Dementia; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Theory of MindAgedAged 80 and overbusiness.industryMild cognitive impairmentNeurodegenerative DiseasesGeneral MedicineCaregiver burdenMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseCaregiverDistressNeurologyCaregivers030220 oncology & carcinogenesisFrontotemporal DementiaSurgeryDementiaFemaleNeurology (clinical)Alzheimer's diseasebusiness030217 neurology & neurosurgeryClinical psychologydescription
Abstract Background Theory of Mind (ToM) is defined as the ability to understand mental and emotional state. This ability is assessed also in neurodegenerative disease. Few studies have investigated the impact that social cognition of patients could have on caregiver burden. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible correlation in level of social cognition impairment between patients with different neurodegenerative disorders and their caregivers with possible impact on caregivers burden. Methods we enrolled 48 patients with dementia divided in different groups: Fronto-Temporal Dementia (FTD), Alzheimer Disease (AD), and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and also the three groups of their respective caregivers. All subjects were submitted to ToM tests, and the caregiver groups also to Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) to evaluate level of burden. Results Our results showed that ToM was more impaired in FTD patients and in their caregivers In addition, FTD group showed more impaired performances in tasks related to emotional skills. Conclusions We suggested that ToM impairment of patients are related to ToM impairment of caregivers with differences of scores in caregiver groups. The caregiver difficulties to understand, attribute and describe emotional and mental states of their relatives develop distress and inability in burden management and disorders relative to neurodegenerative disease.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-07 |