title: Can caregivers independently rate cognitive and behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease patients?: A longitudinal analysis.
abstract: To examine whether informant-based assessments of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be used longitudinally to track patient functioning, the authors followed AD patients (N=153) and their caregivers over 1 year with the Relative's Assessment of Global Symptomatology-Elderly (RAGS-E) and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADASc). Factor analysis of the RAGS-E yielded two subscales, Cognitive Functioning and Mood Disturbance. The cognitive subscale and ADASc correlated at all visits, whereas the mood subscale did not. After 12 months (n=62), the cognitive scale worsened at a rate similar to the ADASc, suggesting concurrent validity. Therefore, informant-based measures appear to be reliable and valid methods of identifying cognitive change in AD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. chandra@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ippen
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Olin
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers; D003071:Cognition; D018450:Disease Progression; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D012917:Social Adjustment; D018454:Spouses