Table 3

Brief overview of the selected multi-domain AD scales

Scale

Domains/dimensions

(number of items)

Patient population

Rating

Rater

Item scoring

Application

BGP

(van der Kam et al. 1971)

Caregiver dependency (9), Social skills (7), Aggressiveness (5), Psychoorganic syndrome (11), Depressiveness (3)

Moderate to severe AD

Observation

Nurse, Caregiver

3-point

Used in clinical trials for assessment of behavior in psychogeriatric patients; the BGP-care dependency subscale reflects cognitive and functional characteristics related with increased need for care

GBS

(Gottfries et al. 1982)

Intellect (11), Emotion (3), Self-care (6), Behavior (6)

Mild to severe AD

Observation/interview

Physician, Psychologist, Nurse

7-point

Global assessment tool for evaluating dementia symptoms; it is not suitable for diagnostic purposes but for repeated measurements of patients participating in clinical trials for assessment of drug treatment effects

NOSGER

(Brunner & Spiegel 1990)

Memory (5), IADL (5), Self-care (5), Mood (5), Social behavior (5), Disturbing behavior (5)

Mild to moderate

AD

Observation

Nurse, Caregiver

5-point

Developed for longitudinal studies in psychogeriatrics; used in several European and North American centers; suitable for dementia screening

SCAG

(Shader et al. 1974)

Cognitive dysfunction (4), Interpersonal relationship (4), Apathy (4), Affect (3), Somatic function (3)

Senile dementia

Observation/interview

Clinician

7-point

General-purpose rating scale developed for evaluation of pharmacotherapy in senile dementia; widely used in drug research trials during 1980's

VL

(Porzsolt et al. 2004)

Communication (15), Negative affect (10), Bodily contact (5), Aggression (4), Mobility (6)

Severe AD

Observation

Physician, Nurse

7-point

A relatively new developed proxy-rating QoL instrument for documentation of the outcome of geriatric inpatient rehabilitation

AD, Alzheimer's disease; BGP, Behavioral Rating Scale for Geriatric Patients; GBS, Gottfries-Brane-Steen; NOSGER, Nurses' Observation Scale for Geriatric Patients; SCAG, Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric; VL, the Vienna List

Robert et al. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy 2010 2:24   doi:10.1186/alzrt48