Improving clinical descriptions to understand the effects of dementia treatment: consensus recommendations.
OBJECTIVE
To recommend how the description of clinically detectable treatment effects might be improved for antidementia drug trials.


METHODS
Consensus conference, with review of available evidence.


RESULTS
We suggest widespread, systematic, qualitative studies, based on prospective observations such as the clinicians' narrative descriptions of patient's changes used in the Clinician's Interview-Based Impressions of Change (CIBIC-Plus), plus caregiver input. The identification of patient and caregiver expectations, and an understanding of how these expectations are met, are proposed as priorities for future study.


CONCLUSIONS
Better descriptions of treatment effects can enhance our understanding of both clinical meaningfulness and cholinergic function in the brain.
Rockwood
Kenneth
K
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kenneth.Rockwood@dal.ca
Joffres
Christine
C
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors