ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH WITH DEMENTIA PATIENTS

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.