Abstract: Objective To investigate the family burden from behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) living at home and in nursing home.Methods Neuropsychiatric Inventory/Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home (NPI) and Family Burden Interview Scale (FBIS) were used to measure the occurrence of BPSD in 200 AD patients. The data were analyzed.Results In-home patients' total score and family daily activities, family entertainment, family relationships, family members' mental health and the body healthy dimension scores of FBIS were significantly higher （ P<0.05）, and the dimension scores of economic burden were significantly lower ( P<0.01) than those of patients in nursing home. Patients' total score of NPI was positively correlated with the economic burden, family entertainment, family relationships, family members' mental health and the body healthy dimension scores of FBIS （ P<0.01）. Every dimension score of NPI and total score of FBIS positively related ( P<0.05). Dimension score of family daily activities of FBIS was not related to all of the dimension scores and total score of NPI ( P>0.05).Conclusion The family burden from BPSD should not be ignored, especially the patients living at home, which suggests that AD patients should be sent to nursing home to spend their rest life.

Key words: Alzheimer disease, dementia, behavioral and psychological symptoms, family burden