title: Assessment of Confabulation in Patients with Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders: The Nijmegen-Venray Confabulation List (NVCL-20).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Even though the first awareness of confabulations is often based on observations, only questionnaires and structured interviews quantifying provoked confabulations are available. So far, no tools have been developed to measure spontaneous confabulation. This study describes and validates an observation scale for quantifying confabulation behavior, including spontaneous confabulations, in clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observation scale consisting of 20 items was developed, the Nijmegen-Venray Confabulation List-20 (NVCL-20). This scale covers spontaneous confabulation, provoked confabulation, and memory and orientation. Professional caregivers completed the NVCL-20 for 28 Korsakoff (KS) patients and 24 cognitively impaired chronic alcoholics (ALC). Their ratings were related to the Dalla Barba Confabulation Battery (DBCB), Provoked Confabulation Test (PCT), and standard neuropsychological tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The categories of the NVCL-20 have "good" to "excellent" internal consistency and inter-rater agreement. The KS patients confabulated more (both spontaneously and provoked), and more memory and orientation problems were observed. Correlations with neuropsychological test scores showed that confabulations were associated with memory deficits, but not with intrusions or tests of executive dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NVCL-20 is the first instrument that includes items addressing spontaneous confabulation. Administration is reliable, valid and feasible in clinical practice, making it a useful addition to existing confabulating measures.
authors.affiliation: a Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yvonne C M
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Rensen
authors.affiliation: a Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joukje M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oosterman
authors.affiliation: a Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jessica E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: van Damme
authors.affiliation: a Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sonja I A
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Griekspoor
authors.affiliation: b Korsakoff Clinic, Vincent van Gogh Institute, Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders , Venray , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arie J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wester
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry , King's College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kopelman
authors.affiliation: a Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.|b Korsakoff Clinic, Vincent van Gogh Institute, Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders , Venray , The Netherlands.|d Department of Medical Psychology , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roy P C
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kessels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000438:Alcohols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols
keywords: Alcoholism.; Executive functioning; Korsakoff’s syndrome; Memory and orientation; Provoked confabulation; Spontaneous confabulation