Revised memory and behavior problems checklist (RMBPC): an inter-observer agreement study

The Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC) is a caregiver-r eport questionnaire for assessing major behavioral disturbances in dementia patients. Behavioral problems are of great relevance both for the clinical management and the caring of dementia patients. We assessed the RMBPC reli ability in terms of interobserver reproducibility, by comparing the ratings of a close caregiver with the ratings of a neurologist directly observing 20 Alzheimer's disease patients in their family environment. The inter-rate r agreements were measured by means of the Kappa coefficient and the Spearm an's correlation coefficient. Our results support the use of the RMBPC to a ssess behavioral disturbances in dementia patients, with certain caveats as far as depression-related behaviors are concerned (r=0.60). The RMBPC can therefore be reliably used to monitor behavioral disturbances over the cour se of the disease as well as for clinical trials.