Compared to the literature on Alzheimer's disease (AD), less is known about the emotional distress of caregivers of persons with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). This study describes and compares emotional distress due to neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) among children and spousal caregivers of aMCI or mild AD care recipients. It also examined the association between the frequency and severity of NPS and caregivers' emotional distress. In total, 108 spouses or children of persons with aMCI or mild AD were administered the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, measuring the frequency/severity of NPS in the patient as well as the associated caregiver's emotional distress. Emotional distress due to each NPS was compared between children and spouses and the relationship between NPS and emotional distress was assessed. There was no significant difference in emotional distress between aMCI and mild AD spousal caregivers for all symptoms, but for children caregivers, emotional distress was significantly higher in the mild AD group than in the aMCI group. Regardless of the caregiver's relationship to the patient or the condition (aMCI vs mild AD) of the latter, there was a positive relationship between the frequency/severity of NPS and caregiver emotional distress. Caregivers of persons with aMCI experienced emotional distress due to the presence of NPS in their significant others at a level that is generally similar to that experienced by caregivers of persons with mild AD. This study highlights the need for interventions to reduce emotional burden by helping caregivers manage NPS in care recipients.

中文翻译：

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患有轻度认知障碍或阿尔茨海默氏病患者的神经精神症状引起的看护人情绪困扰。

与有关阿尔茨海默氏病（AD）的文献相比，对遗忘性轻度认知障碍（aMCI）的护理人员的情绪困扰知之甚少。这项研究描述并比较了aMCI或轻度AD护理接受者的儿童和配偶护理人员中由于神经精神症状（NPS）引起的情绪困扰。它还检查了NPS的频率和严重程度与护理人员的情绪困扰之间的关系。总共向108名患有aMCI或轻度AD的配偶或子女进行了神经精神病学调查，以测量患者NPS的频率/严重程度以及相关护理人员的情绪困扰。比较了孩子和配偶之间因每个NPS引起的情绪困扰，并评估了NPS与情绪困扰之间的关系。在所有症状方面，aMCI和轻度AD配偶看护人之间的情绪困扰没有显着差异，但是对于儿童监护人，轻度AD组的情绪困扰明显高于aMCI组。无论看护者与患者的关系或后者的病情（aMCI与轻度AD），NPS的频率/严重程度与看护者的情绪困扰之间都存在正相关关系。患有aMCI的人的照顾者由于其重要的其他人存在NPS而感到情绪困扰，其水平通常与轻度AD的照顾者所经历的程度相似。这项研究强调需要通过干预措施来帮助护理人员管理受护理者的NPS，以减轻情绪负担。