OBJECTIVES: To review and assess current measures of caregiver burden in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). METHODS: A systematic search of MEDLINE, HEALTHSTAR, and PUBMED databases was conducted to identify all disease-specific and general caregiver-burden measures used within the AD population. The accuracy and ultimate value of a measure was assessed through three general psychometric indices of performance: reliability, validity, and responsiveness. The evaluation of caregiver-burden instruments along these psychometric properties were identified and compared across measures. RESULTS: A total of 62 articles were found to contain background information or application of AD caregiver-burden measures. Of these articles, ten measures were identified. Four were AD-specific and six were generic measures used within the AD population. The available evidence of each measure's reliability, validity and responsiveness varied. The Screen for Caregiver Burden (SCB) was the only measure that reported reliability, construct and content validity, and responsiveness and performed well. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of psychometric properties reported in the majority of measures may limit the ability to accurately assess caregiver burden and to evaluate changes in response to interventions intended to lessen this burden. Future validation studies of AD caregiver measures will benefit by addressing these issues.