Battery for the evaluation of neurological patients and their caregivers in cognitive stimulation/rehabilitation therapy

VANOTTI, S.; FELDBERG, C.; IRRAZABAL, N.; KURLAT, V.; RUOTOLO, M.; VILAS, S.; VILLAR, V.; DEMEY, I.; SOMALE, V.; CÁCERES, F. & ALLEGRI, R.

JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY : JINS.

Cambridge University Press

Año: 2008 vol. 14 p. 108 - 108

1355-6177

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Objective: Cognitive neurorehabilitation is the set of therapeutic strategies that tends to rehabilitate the cognitive abilities and modify behavior patterns. Such therapy includes the patient, his/her family and/or friends. The caregiver is that person who provides assistance and care to people with different neurological disorders. Caregivers suffer physical, psychological and social disturbances and they are considered a risk group. The feeling of burden is one of their stress-related manifestations. objective: To present a battery for the assessment of neurological patients and caregivers in order to measure the social and functional state of the caregiver and to assess its acceptance and usefulness. Participants and Methods: The areas evaluated include: self-memory perception of the patient both perceived by the patient and the caregiver (Questionnaire of Daily Forgetfulness, Van der Linden), patient and caregiver quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of life- Brief, WHOQOL-BR-F), instrumental and basic daily activities (Lawton and Brody’s Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and the Lawton’s ADL Scale), caregiver’s burden manifestations (Caregiver Burden Interview, Zarit), patient’s and caregiver’s depression symptoms (Inventory of Depression, Beck) and neuropsychiatric manifestations of the patient assessed by the caregiver (NPI-Q, Boada). Conclusions: The effect of the stimulation/rehabilitation treatment will be analyzed in each of the aspects included in the neurological disorders. The existence of an interrelationship among such aspects will be explored, thus trying to detect which one of these variables more frequently affect the wellbeing of patients and caregivers. In the first 26 patients and 20 caregivers, this battery was administered with good tolerance and acceptance.