title: The Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) scale: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) Scale was developed to determine elderly patients' disturbances of awareness and orientation as to time, place and own identity, and assessment of various emotional and behavioural symptoms appearing in delirium, dementia and other organic mental diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the OBS Scale, using the eight criteria and guidelines formulated by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Medical Outcomes Trust (SAC), and to investigate its relevance and suitability for use in various clinical settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic search and analysis of papers (30) on the OBS Scale were carried out using the criteria suggested by the SAC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OBS Scale in many aspects satisfies the requirements suggested by the SAC: conceptual and measurement model, reliability, validity, responsiveness, interpretability, respondent and administrative burden, alternative forms of administration, and cultural and language adaptations, but there is a need for additional evaluation, especially with regard to different forms of reliability, and the translation and adaptation to other languages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The OBS Scale is a sensitive scale which is clinically useful for the description and long-term follow-up of patients showing symptoms of acute confusional state and dementia. Although the OBS Scale has been used in several clinical studies there is need for further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive care, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. karin.bjorkman_bjorkelund@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Karin Björkman
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Björkelund
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gustafson
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity