Sleep Quality in Lewy Body Dementia Family Caregivers: Associations with Caregiver and Care Recipient Characteristics
Marla Tharp1, Wdasie Ayele1, Jessica Hemm1, Sarah Chen1, Viosa Koliqi1, Evelyn Stevens2, Keith Fargo3, Robin Otto3, Diane Mariani1, Sandhya Seshadri4, Cintra Bentley1, Tom Manak1, Allegra Miller1, Claire Pensyl1, Carmen Pierce1, Margaret Voss1, Bichun Ouyang1, Joshua Chodosh5, Jori Fleisher1
1Rush University Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Program, 2Parkinson's Foundation, 3Lewy Body Dementia Association, 4University of Rochester Medical Center, 5NYU Langone Health
Objective:
This study examines how sleep quality among Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) caregivers relates to caregiver strain and care recipient clinical characteristics.
Background:
Caregivers of individuals with LBD, the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease (AD), exhibit elevated levels of caregiver burden, medical comorbidities, and poor sleep quality compared to AD caregivers. Poor sleep is a modifiable risk factor that may contribute to adverse health outcomes yet remains understudied in LBD caregivers. This cross-sectional analysis examines associations between LBD caregiver sleep and both caregiver and care recipient characteristics.
Design/Methods:
We analyzed baseline data for 382 LBD caregivers enrolled in an ongoing trial (R01AG079128). Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). PSQI global scores>5 out of 21 indicated poor sleep quality. PSQI component scores assessed subjective sleep quality, duration, efficiency, disturbances, and daytime dysfunction. Correlations (r) between PSQI scores and caregiver demographics, strain (Multidimensional Caregiver Strain Index), desire to institutionalize, care recipient disease duration, dementia severity (Quick Dementia Rating Scale), and dependence in activities of daily living were analyzed.
Results:
Overall, caregivers reported poor sleep quality (mean=7.51±3.76). Poor sleep quality was unrelated to caregiver gender, race, age, relationship to care recipient, care recipient diagnosis, or disease duration; however, correlated with increased caregiver strain (r=0.35, p<0.01), desire to institutionalize (r=0.16, p=0.01), and dementia severity (r=0.21, p<0.01). Worse subjective sleep quality, duration, efficacy, disturbances, and daytime dysfunction all correlated with increased caregiver strain (r=0.15-0.36, p<0.01). Worse subjective sleep quality and duration each correlated with increased dementia severity (r=0.19-0.26, p<0.01) and desire to institutionalize (r=0.13, p=0.03).
Conclusions:
LBD caregivers experience poor sleep quality, which correlates with greater caregiver strain and care recipient cognitive severity. Ongoing longitudinal follow-up will help clarify causal relationships and patterns over time. Implementing strategies to improve caregiver sleep may enhance the well-being of both caregivers and individuals with LBD.
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