Abstract

Background: Parkinson’s disease imposes a substantial and sustained demand upon family members, yet clinical assessment and treatment remain centred upon motor impairment. Which features of the illness actually burden the caregiver has not been established with confidence, and reviews report inconsistent findings for motor severity. Objective: This study measured caregiver burden and determined the relative contribution of motor severity, non-motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms, and the practical context of caregiving. Methods: One hundred and eighty patient and caregiver dyads attending a movement disorder clinic were studied. Patients underwent staging, motor examination, cognitive and neuropsychiatric assessment; caregivers completed the Zarit Burden Interview. Predictors were examined by hierarchical regression entered in four blocks, and the unique contribution of each block was tested independently of entry order. Results: The mean burden score was 30.32, and 77.8% of caregivers reported clinically significant burden. The full model explained 72.7% of the variance. Non-motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms contributed uniquely, accounting for 24.4% of the explained variance, whereas the unique contribution of motor severity was 1.5% and did not reach significance. Motor severity appeared influential only when it was entered first. Conclusion: Caregiver burden is driven predominantly by non-motor features rather than motor severity.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, Caregiver burden, Zarit Burden Interview, Neuropsychiatric symptoms, Non-motor symptoms, Hierarchical regression, Family caregiving