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Can Caregivers Independently Rate Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms in Alzheimer's Disease Patients?

A Longitudinal Analysis

Received June 10, 1998; revised December 2, 1998; accepted January 28, 1999. From the Department of Psychology, University of Southern California. Address correspondence to Dr. Ippen, c/o Jason T. Olin, Ph.D., USC Geriatric Studies Clinic, 1975 Zonal Ave., KAM-400, Los Angeles, CA 90033. e-mail: chandra{at}itsa.ucsf.edu

To examine whether informant-based assessments of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be used longitudinally to track patient functioning, the authors followed AD patients (N=153) and their caregivers over 1 year with the Relative's Assessment of Global Symptomatology–Elderly (RAGS–E) and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADASc). Factor analysis of the RAGS–E yielded two subscales, Cognitive Functioning and Mood Disturbance. The cognitive subscale and ADASc correlated at all visits, whereas the mood subscale did not. After 12 months (n=62), the cognitive scale worsened at a rate similar to the ADASc, suggesting concurrent validity. Therefore, informant-based measures appear to be reliable and valid methods of identifying cognitive change in AD patients.

Key Words: Alzheimer's Disease • Rating Scales • Caregivers

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