Abstract
Introduction/background:
Behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) are prevalent among persons with dementia. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) is an instrument frequently used in research as well as in clinical practice to assess BPSD. The NPI exists as a structured interview (NPI-I) as well as in several shorter self-administration versions (NPI-Q).
Aim:
To validate the self-administration version of the NPI against the interview version as gold standard.
Method:
Twenty-five relatives of patients suffering from dementia filled in the NPI-Q and put it in a sealed envelope. Thereafter they were interviewed in accordance to the NPI-I. Validity was examined by correlating the scores of the NPI-Q with those of the interview version of NPI.
Results:
There were an excellent agreement between the NPI-Q and NPI-I when it comes to the sum scores, whereas the agreement between the single item-scores was only fair to good.
Conclusion:
The Norwegian version of the NPI-Q seems to be a valid instrument to assess the total amount of BPSD-symptoms as well as distress associated with these symptoms. When it comes to single items, there is a need for either always checking the responses given on the NPI-Q or adjust the self-administration questionnaire so that the questions are completely identical with those of the interview version.