Severity of Dementia, Anosognosia, and Depression in Relation to the Quality of Life of Patients with Alzheimer Disease: Discrepancies Between Patients and Caregivers

Objective To investigate the factors associated with discrepancies between patient and caregiver reports of the quality of life of patients (QoLp) with Alzheimer disease. Methods Cross-sectional analytic study of 141 patients and their caregivers. The instruments used were the Quality of Life in AD, the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Anosognosia Questionnaire—Dementia. Differences were analyzed according to GDS stage. A linear regression analysis was conducted using the difference between the absolute QoLp scores of patients and caregivers. A cluster analysis involving patient variables was then performed. Results The discrepancy between patient and caregiver QoLp ratings increased in line with GDS stages (χ2 (2) = 8.7, p = 0.013). In the regression model (F [7,133] = 16.6, p