title: Assessment of agitation in Alzheimer's disease: the agitated behavior in dementia scale. Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measure of agitation, the Agitated Behavior in Dementia scale (ABID). The ABID consists of 16 items designed specifically to evaluate frequency of and caregiver reaction to common agitated behaviors in community-residing dementia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ABID was administered at the baseline assessment of a multi-site controlled treatment study to reduce agitation in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Reliability was assessed by evaluating internal consistency and test-retest correlations. Validity was assessed by examining correlations with other constructs, including demographics, cognitive status, and overall behavioral disturbance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one sites across the US, comprising the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, contributed subjects to the investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 148 community-residing AD patients, living with a spouse or adult relative who acted as an informant. Mean age was 75 years, and mean Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score was 13.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive status was assessed using the MMSE. Behavioral disturbance was assessed using the Behavior Rating Scale for Dementia of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease, the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist, and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reliability of the ABID was excellent, with internal consistency of 0.70 and test-retest reliability of 0.60 to 0.73. Validity was confirmed by correlations with related measures and lack of correlation with unrelated constructs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ABID is brief, easy to administer, and provides objectively anchored observations of problems. It is a promising measure for studies of community-residing AD patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7263, USA.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Logsdon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teri
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raskind
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peskind
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grundman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koss
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Thal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology