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Clinical Trials in Neurology pp 171–182Cite as

Outcome Variables in Dementia Trials: Conceptual and Practical Issues

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Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to determine the roles of different assessment methods (including neuropsychological tests, psychiatric rating scales, global clinical scales and functional scales) in evaluating treatments for dementia, most especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with emphasis on neuropsychological assessment in trials of drugs designed to treat cognitive symptoms. We begin with a brief overview of issues in the diagnosis of dementia. We then review the desirable characteristics of instruments for evaluating dementia treatments, followed by a discussion of specific cognitive and other assessment instruments along with data on the extent to which they meet certain desirable validity, reliability and practicality criteria we detail below.

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Authors
  1. A. D. Lawrence
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  2. B. J. Sahakian
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neuromuscular Unit, West London Neurosciences Centre, 1st Floor Pilot Wing, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, W6 8RF, London, UK

    Roberto J. Guiloff MD, FRCP (Consultant Neurologist) (Consultant Neurologist)

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© 2001 Springer-Verlag London

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Lawrence, A.D., Sahakian, B.J. (2001). Outcome Variables in Dementia Trials: Conceptual and Practical Issues. In: Guiloff, R.J. (eds) Clinical Trials in Neurology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3787-0_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3787-0_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84996-856-0

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