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Family Carers of People with Dementia

Episodic memory and executive functioning in informal dementia caregivers

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Pages 1681-1689 | Received 23 Dec 2018, Accepted 06 May 2019, Published online: 22 May 2019
 

Abstract

Objectives: Informal dementia caregivers are thought to experience high levels of depression and burden, which can contribute to worse cognitive functioning. However, poorer cognitive functioning in caregivers is not always found. The current study explored whether caregivers perform better, worse, or similar to non-caregivers on tasks for executive functioning and memory. Whether sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics are associated with caregivers’ performance was also assessed.

Methods: One hundred forty-five caregivers completed the Letter Fluency and Category Fluency, the Logical Memory test from the WMS-III, and five questionnaires assessing psychological characteristics. Standardized z-scores (based on age, education, and sex) were calculated using data from a matched control group (187 non-caregivers). One sample z-tests were executed to examine if the caregivers’ standardized mean z-score significantly deviated from the population mean of z = 0. The z-scores were used as dependent variables in multivariable regression analyses.

Results: The caregivers performed significantly better on Logical Memory - Immediate Recall than non-caregivers (z = 2.92, p = .004). The obtained z-scores on the other tasks did not deviate significantly from 0. Male sex and social reliance predicted higher scores on Category Fluency, but the F-test was non-significant, and the explained variance was low (adjusted R2 = .068).

Conclusions: We found no evidence for poorer cognitive performance among informal caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Our results suggest that caregiving for a loved one with dementia does not impair the caregivers’ episodic memory or executive functioning when measured cross-sectionally.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the participants who participated in this study for their time and willingness to contribute.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Data sharing statement

The data will not be made public, assuring the study participants’ privacy. Requests for data sharing will be considered on an individual basis, for appropriate research purposes only.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the program Memorabel, of The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), part of The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO); and Alzheimer Nederland (project number: 733050608). However, solely the authors are responsible for the design and conduct of this study, study analyses, interpreting, drafting and editing of this article.