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Assessment of agitation
1Research Institute of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
International Psychogeriatrics
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Assessing agitation in dementia patients is complex due to communication barriers. This study reviews methods like informant ratings, observations, and technology for evaluating agitation in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Agitation is a common behavioral symptom in older adults with dementia.
- Assessing agitation is challenging due to communication difficulties and complex behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current approaches for assessing agitation in older persons with dementia.
- To discuss considerations for evaluating agitation in pharmacological studies.
Main Methods:
- Review of three general approaches: informant ratings, observational methods, and technological devices.
- Discussion of assessment instrument variations, time sampling, objectivity, and cost.
Main Results:
- Multiple assessment instruments exist within each approach.
- Approaches vary in time sampling, objectivity, and cost.
- Pharmacological studies require consideration of behavior meaning, consequences, and impact on non-target behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Agitation assessment in dementia requires understanding the behavior's meaning for individuals and caregivers.
- Alternative methods for unmet needs signaled by agitation should be explored.
- Pharmacological evaluations must account for variability and non-target effects.