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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Judith G. Gonyea, PhD, School of Social Work/Research Department, Boston University, 264 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215, 617.353.3748, jgonyea@bu.edu, Maureen O'Connor, PsyD, Department of Psychology, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Adminstration, 2100 Springs Road, B9-F2, Bedford, MA 01730, and Patricia A. Boyle, PhD, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University, 600 South Paulina, 1020B, Chicago, IL 60612.

Alterations in neuropsychiatric functioning (i.e., apathy, depression, agitation, aggression, and sleep disruption) are reported in over 80% of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and are associated with marked functional declines among patients as well as being a source of considerable distress among their caregivers. Effective management of neuropsychiatric symptoms is crucial to improving the quality of life of the AD patient and family members. The primary objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a novel, caregiver behavioral group intervention in reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms among AD patients and decreasing neuropsychiatric symptom-related distress among their family caregivers. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, a total of 80 caregivers were randomized into one of two groups: a behavioral intervention (CARE) or a psychoeducational (PE) usual care group. To ensure comparability in dosage, both intervention conditions were conducted over a 5-week period, had 90-minute weekly sessions, limited group size to 5 to 10 participants, and used manualized intervention protocols. Key post-treatment findings include that participants in CARE reported significant declines in neuropsychiatric symptom severity in the AD relative and in their own level of distress in response to the neuropsychiatric symptoms. A similar benefit was not, however, found in the participants in the PE; the changes in neuropsychiatric symptom severity and neuropsychiatric symptom-related distress were not significant. Neither group of caregivers, CARE or PE participants, experienced a significant decline in perceived global burden. Future practice and research directions for targeted brief behavioral interventions to treat neuropsychatric symptoms are discussed.

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