Home › Research › Caregiving
Physiological and functional consequences of caregiving for relatives with dementia
Fonareva I, Oken BS.. International psychogeriatrics, 2014-02-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Chronic stress negatively affects health and well-being. A growing population of informal dementia caregivers experience chronic stress associated with extraordinary demands of caring for a relative with dementia. This review summarizes physiological and functional changes due to chronic dementia caregiver stress. Methods A literature search for papers assessing effects of dementia caregiving was conducted focusing on publications evaluating differences between caregivers and non-caregivers in objective measures of health and cognition. Results The review identified 37 studies describing data from 4,145 participants including 749 dementia caregivers and 3,396 non-caregiver peers. Objective outcome measures affected in dementia caregivers included markers of dyscoagulation, inflammation, and cell aging as well as measures of immune function, sleep, and cognition. Though diverse in designs, samples, and study quality, the majority of the studies indicated increased vulnerability of dementia caregivers to detrimental changes in health and cognition. Demographic and personality characteristics moderating or mediating effects of chronic stress in caregivers were also reviewed. Conclusions There is accumulating evidence that chronic dementia caregiver stress increases their vulnerability to disease and diminishes their ability to provide optimal care. Clinicians and society need to appreciate the extent of deleterious effects of chronic stress on dementia caregiver health.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Fonareva, I., & Oken, B. S. (2014). Physiological and functional consequences of caregiving for relatives with dementia. International psychogeriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610214000039
Vancouver
Fonareva I, Oken BS. Physiological and functional consequences of caregiving for relatives with dementia. International psychogeriatrics. 2014. doi:10.1017/s1041610214000039. PMID: 24507463.
BibTeX
@article{fonareva2014-24507463,
author = {Fonareva, I. and Oken, B. S.},
title = {{Physiological and functional consequences of caregiving for relatives with dementia}},
journal = {International psychogeriatrics},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1017/s1041610214000039},
pmid = {24507463},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610214000039}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- A growing population of informal dementia caregivers experience chronic stress associated with extraordinary demands of caring for a relative with dementia.
- Results The review identified 37 studies describing data from 4,145 participants including 749 dementia caregivers and 3,396 non-caregiver peers.
Why it matters
This review of 37 studies found that dementia caregivers showed changes in markers of dyscoagulation, inflammation, cell aging, immune function, sleep, and cognition compared with non-caregivers. It suggests chronic dementia caregiver stress increases vulnerability to disease and may diminish the ability to provide optimal care.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Caregiving →
Study details
- Participants4,145
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International psychogeriatrics) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | International Psychogeriatrics: journal h-index 161 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 4,145 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 251 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 17.9 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 16 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 58 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Barry Oken: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Oregon Health & Science University: institution h-index 1,025 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24507463) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1017/s1041610214000039
- PubMed: 24507463
- Original source →
- Free full text: International Psychogeriatrics →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
16 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Caregiving
Also tagged “care”
996 studies in the library carry the topic tag “care”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 996 tagged studies.