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AIMS: To determine areas of atrophy in patients that are associated with caregiver burden. METHODS: We measured caregiver burden, dementia and neuropsychiatric scores in 22 patients with corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and 25 with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and in 14 healthy controls. We used voxel-based morphometry to correlate caregiver burden with gray matter loss. RESULTS: Increased dementia and behavioral disturbances contributed to higher burden scores in CBS patients, while behavioral disturbances alone significantly affected burden scores in frontal-variant FTD (FTD-fv) patients. In CBS patients, caregiver burden scores correlated with atrophy in left inferior and middle temporal gyri. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers of FTD-fv patients had significantly higher burden scores than caregivers of CBS patients. Damage to areas important in semantic knowledge appears critical in increased burden for CBS caregivers.

Original publication

DOI

10.1159/000167268

Type

Journal article

Journal

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

Publication Date

2008

Volume

26

Pages

467 - 474

Keywords

Aged, Basal Ganglia Diseases, Behavior, Caregivers, Cost of Illness, Dementia, Female, Humans, Knowledge, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Stress, Psychological