[Behavioral pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD): Spanish validation].
BACKGROUND
The Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD) is a screening instrument for the evaluation of behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's patients. Our aim was to validate the BEHAVE-AD test in Spanish, intended for use in routine clinical practice.


METHODS
We assessed the validity of the BEHAVEAD in 79 nursing-home patients with diagnosis criteria of dementia, scoring 4 or higher on the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) scale, by developing a crossed validated form between the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q) and BEHAVE-AD tests. Both instruments were rated by an expert clinician. In order to study the concurrent validity of some of the BEHAVE-AD subscales, we compared the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) tests.


RESULTS
The Pearson correlation index between the BEHAVE-AD test and the NPI-Q, was significant but moderate (r=0.694). Pearson's correlation between BEHAVEAD's symptoms scale and NPI-Q's severity scale was r=0.698. When comparing BEHAVE-AD's global evaluation scale (caregiver's disturbance) and NPI-Q's distress scale, the correlation index was 0.535.


CONCLUSIONS
The BEHAVE-AD Spanish version offers the possibility to use a screening tool for the detection of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia patients, also applicable to nursing home residents, administered by an expert clinician.
Boada
M
M
Fundació ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades, Barcelona. mboada@fundacioace.com
Tárraga
L
L
Modinos
G
G
Diego
S
S
Reisberg
B
B
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain