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Informaciones
Psiquiátricas
2018 - n.º
232
Palabras clave:
Demencia severa, cuidado-
res, SCPD, depresión en demencia, deterioro
funcional, síntomas conductuales.
Abstract
Objective.
The neuropsychiatric symp-
toms of patients with dementia deteriorate
the quality of life of both the patient and
their caregivers. And increase the mental
problems (depression and anxiety mainly)
in the caregivers, with the decrease in life
expectancy for both.
The present study attempts to find an as-
sociation between the type of neuropsychia-
tric symptomatology perceived according
to the type of primary caregiver in patients
with evolved dementia, and the difficulty of
these caregivers for home care, to benefit
both patients and caregivers.
Method.
Family members of patients ad-
mitted for any cause to a Psychogeriatric
medium stay ward and suffering from de-
mentia due to any aetiology were included.
The patients were in a phase ranging from
moderate to severe and the symptomatic
burden of the patients was assessed through
the Cornell depression scale in dementia and
the NPI-Q in its Spanish version, and the
characteristics of the caregivers.
Results.
The data of 34 patients and their
caregivers were analysed. No statistically
significant or objective differences were
found between the group of patients who
had a particular caregiver and those who
had a family relative as their caregiver. Most
of the patients presented major depressive
symptomatology associated with dementia
according to the Cornell scale and the NPI-
Q. Both groups had high values of NPI-Q,
Cornell scale and very functional deteriora-
ted. The most frequent symptom was apathy.
The less frequent symptom was euphoria.
Conclusion.
No statistically significant
association was found between the type
of caregiver and the severity of the BPSD
perceived.
Key words:
Severe dementia, caregivers,
BPSD, depression in dementia, functional
deterioration, behavioural symptoms.
Introducción
El enfoque del manejo de las demencias se
sigue centrando en el control de los sínto-
mas para mantener el bienestar y la calidad
de vida del paciente dada la ausencia de tra-
tamientos curativos. Uno de los principales
eslabones del tratamiento de los síndromes
demenciales es el control conductual y de
síntomas neuropsiquiátricos, ya que es uno
de los factores en la calidad de vida del pa-
ciente y el cuidador, y que pueden ser un
determinante en la decisión de instituciona-
lización de dichos pacientes
1-2
.
Los síntomas neuropsiquiátricos (SCPD),
que pueden ser psicóticos (delirios y alu-
cinaciones), afectivos (apatía, depresión,
irritabilidad y ansiedad) y conductuales (eu-
foria, desinhibición, agitación, actividades
motrices aberrantes, trastornos del sueño y
trastorno alimentario), son los principales
síntomas de las demencias
3
.
Para la percepción de los síntomas existen
varios factores a considerar y que podrían te-
ner una gran relevancia. Entre estos factores
se encuentran las características sociodemo-
gráficas tanto de los pacientes como de los
cuidadores, la relación específica entre el pa-
ciente y el cuidador, la frecuencia y gravedad
de los síntomas psiquiátricos y trastornos
conductuales del paciente, el grado de dete-
rioro cognitivo, la calidad de vida y el estado
Félix Moreta Lora