The behavior problems checklist-Spanish: A preliminary study of a new scale for the assessment of depressive symptoms and disruptive behaviors in Hispanic patients with dementia

Few instruments are available with which to measure behavioral and psycholo gical signs and symptoms in Hispanic patients with dementia. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to develop and evaluate a 17-item scale adapt ed from the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist. This measure, t he Behavior Problems Checklist-Spanish (BPC-S), assesses caregiver-reported symptoms of depression and disruption in patients with dementia. The sampl e for this study comprised 27 Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients and their family caregivers evaluated at a university-affiliated memory disorders cen ter. All patients met diagnostic criteria for possible or probable Alzheime r's disease as set forth by the National Institute of Neurological and Comm unicative Diseases and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Ass ociation. Satisfactory convergent validity, discriminant validity, and inte rnal consistency reliability were demonstrated for the Depression and Disru ption subscales of the BPC-S. Both of these neuropsychiatric disturbances w ere related to heightened levels of caregiver burden. The results of this p reliminary study suggest the BPC-S is a brief, psychometrically sound careg iver-report instrument to assess symptoms of mood disturbance and behaviora l disruption in Hispanic patients with dementia. This instrument may have u tility for both clinical and research purposes.