Rlp. Berghmans et Rhj. Termeulen, ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH WITH DEMENTIA PATIENTS, International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 10(8), 1995, pp. 647-651
The conduct of scientific research involving dementia patients is an e
thically complex issue. Increased insight into the causes and aetiolog
y of this condition can be of paramount importance for future patients
and society as a whole. However, the rights and interests of vulnerab
le and incompetent persons as subjects in research make ethical bounda
ries imperative. A distinction should be made between research that ma
y directly be of benefit to the subject (therapeutic research) and res
earch in which no direct benefit for the patient can reasonably be exp
ected (nontherapeutic research). The majority of the research with dem
entia patients falls within the latter category. Several ethical issue
s are discussed, and special attention is paid to the ethical justific
ation of non-therapeutic research involving incompetent subjects suffe
ring from dementia. Five conditions that should be met in order to mak
e this kind of research ethically acceptable are formulated.