Comparison of patient and caregiver reports of patient activity participation and its relationship to mental health in patients with Alzheimer's disease

The relationship between engagement in pleasant activities as rated by the patient and as rated by the caregiver from the patient's perspective was examined using structural equation modeling in a sample of patients (N=277) diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The two activity participation ratings were only moderately related to one another. Furthermore, depression was the only significant predictor of the patient-rated activity participation, whereas severity of depression, degree of personality change, level of dependence, and cognition were all significant predictors of caregiver-rated activity participation. These findings suggest that caregivers consider a wider range of variables when evaluating the patient's engagement in activities than does the patient. Predictors of patient-rated activity participation did not differ as a function of age or cognition.