Reliability and Analysis of Symptom Category Scores of the Behavior Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale, Korean Version(BEHAVE-AD-K)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to (1) validate the inter-rater reliability of the BEHAVE-AD, Korean version, to (2) analyze the quantitative relationship between severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mean scores on each of the BEHAVE-AD categories and mean total BEHAVE-AD score. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of geriatric patients with AD evaluated at a mental hospital for the elderly. SAMPLE Fifty-two consecutive patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) according to NINCDS-ADRDA diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: In reliability study, significant correlations were obtained for all BEHAVE-AD symptoms category scores and for mean total BEHAVE-AD scores. Analysis of BEHAVE-AD scores as a function of disease severity demonstrated a non-linear relationship between severity of behavioral symptoms and the global and cognitive advance of AD. Score analysis of the BEHAVE-AD indicates that these behavioral disturbances become most severe in the moderate and moderately severe stages of AD. CONCLUSION: All the results proved the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the BEHAVE-AD, Korean version. Furthermore, these results have implications for the methodology of pharmacological trials of putative cognitive enhancer compounds in AD.