Brief checklist for non-cognitive symptoms of dementia

Objective: To describe the development and psychometric utility of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) checklist, a brief caregiver‐rated measure of the frequency of non‐cognitive symptoms of dementia of any type. Methods: Participants were 290 primary caregivers of patients referred to the Memory Clinic. Caregivers rated patients’ BPSD, cognitive symptoms and functional status. Patients underwent standardised cognitive evaluations. Results: High internal consistency reliability and good criterion and construct validity of the 14‐item BPSD checklist were established. Discussion: The BPSD checklist is a comprehensive, yet brief, psychometrically sound measure that may prove useful in both research and clinical settings.