MODIFICATION OF THE CLINICAL GLOBAL IMPRESSIONS (CGI) SCALE FOR USE IN BIPOLAR ILLNESS (BP) - THE CGI-BP

The Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI) was modified specifically for use in assessing global illness severity and change in patients wi th bipolar disorder. Criticisms of the original CGI were addressed by correcting inconsistencies in scaling, identifying time frames for com parison, clarifying definitions of illness severity and change, and se parating out assessment of treatment side effects from illness improve ment during treatment. A Detailed User's Guide was developed to train clinicians in the use of the new CGI-Bipolar Version (CGI-BP) for rati ng severity of manic and depressive episodes and the degree of change from the immediately preceding phase and from the worst phase of illne ss. The revised scale and manual provide a focused set of instructions to facilitate the reliability of these ratings of mania, depression, and overall bipolar illness during treatment of an acute episode or in longer-term illness prophylaxis. Interrater reliability of the scale was demonstrated in preliminary analyses. Thus, the modified CGI-BP is anticipated to be more useful than the original CGI in studies of bip olar disorder. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.