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Parameters considered in multinational clinical drug trials
1Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
International Psychogeriatrics
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Evaluating behavioral disturbances in dementia requires careful consideration of patient populations, rating scales, and assessors. Cultural factors and clinician variability significantly impact symptom frequency and diagnosis in multinational studies.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Behavioral disturbances of dementia (BDD) present challenges in clinical assessment.
- Cross-cultural and multinational studies on BDD face significant methodological hurdles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight critical factors influencing the evaluation of behavioral disturbances of dementia (BDD).
- To address challenges in multinational studies concerning BDD assessment.
Main Methods:
- Review of factors influencing BDD assessment: patient population, rating scales, and assessor characteristics.
- Analysis of cross-cultural variations in BDD symptom frequency and diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Variations in BDD symptom frequency exist across countries, influenced by cultural differences and clinician attitudes.
- Interrater variability and differing clinician attitudes can affect the psychometric properties of rating scales.
- These factors complicate data interpretation in multinational BDD studies.
Conclusions:
- Thorough consideration of patient demographics, scale properties, and assessor training is crucial before multinational BDD trials.
- Addressing cultural and clinician-related variability is essential for reliable cross-national BDD research.