Predictors of Burden in Carers of Patients with Impulse Control Behaviors in Parkinson's Disease

Background: Impulse control behaviors (ICBs) are problematic, reward-based behaviors, affecting 15% to 35% of patients with Parkinson's disease. Evidence exists of increased carer burden as a result of these behaviors; however, little is known about the variables mediating this effect and their management. Objective: To identify factors predictive of carer burden in a cohort of patients with Parkinson's disease with ICBs to enable the development of targeted therapeutic interventions for carers. Methods: Data were collected from 45 patients with clinically significant ICBs and their carers, including levodopa equivalent daily dosage, motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive function, and ICB severity. Carer burden was quantified by Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Univariate analyses were performed using the Spearman rank correlation. Linear regression was used to create a multivariate model for predicting ZBI. Results: Univariate analysis identified significant correlations between ZBI and patient total Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) (rs = 0.50), 4 NPI subscores (agitation/aggression, rs = 0.41; depression/dysphoria, rs = 0.47; apathy/indifference, rs = 0.49; and irritability/lability, rs = 0.38; all P < 0.02), and the carer 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) (rs = 0.52, P < 0.0005). Multivariate linear regression retained total NPI and GHQ-28 scores and were collectively predictive of 36.6% of the variance in the ZBI. Conclusions: Our study suggests that depressive symptoms and aspects of executive dysfunction (apathy and disinhibition) in the patient are potential drivers of carer burden in patients with ICBs. Such findings suggest the presence of executive difficulties and/or mood disturbance should point the clinician to inquire about burden in the caring role and encourage the carer to seek help for any of their own general health problems, which may compound carer burden

The Online Research Group teaching model – ensuring authentic and robust remote learning for MSc students

MSc students in the School of Physics and Astronomy are organised into self-contained and self-supporting research groups of 6 students, each directed by an academic or a former MSc student (current PhD student). This structure authentically reflects the research group structure of the School itself. MSc students form close-knit, self-supporting communities of authentic, active, project-based learning with a strong peer-learning element. In 2020/21, we smoothly transitioned from 100% face-to-face to 100% remote delivery of our MSc programmes. Just as our School's research groups have remained active and effective during the Covid-19 pandemic, our research group model has ensured full continuity of delivery and student support. We have maintained the quality of our MSc programmes while maintaining student outcomes and an excellent student satisfaction level. In this short presentation we summarise our research group teaching model's ethos and implementation details, student outcomes and feedback, adaptations that were made to adjust to remote delivery, and the central role of our former MSc students (now PhD students) who act as research group leaders, mentors, and role models