A new scale for assessing behavioral agitation in dementia.
The primary purpose of the present study was to develop a reliable and valid rating instrument for assessing treatment efficacy for behavioral problems in the cognitively impaired elderly. The Behavioral and Emotional Activities Manifested in Dementia (BEAM-D) Scale was developed for the operational assessment of troublesome and disruptive behaviors in dementia. Each behavioral category of the BEAM-D was clinically considered to be a significant deviation from normative behavior for the geriatric dementia patient. The reliability and validity of the BEAM-D was assessed in a group of 45 patients diagnosed with primary degenerative dementia. The mean interrater reliability of BEAM-D items was 0.90. Concurrent validity was established by comparison with currently used rating scales, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Sandoz Clinical Assessment-Geriatric (SCAG). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the items of the BEAM-D had a strong relationship with conceptually similar behavioral dimensions on the BPRS and SCAG.
Sinha
D
D
Alzheimer's Research Center, University of Cinicinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0559.
Zemlan
F P
FP
Nelson
S
S
Bienenfeld
D
D
Thienhaus
O
O
Ramaswamy
G
G
Hamilton
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology