Farsi version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory: Validity and reliability study among Iranian elderly with dementia

摘要

Background: This study aimed to validate the Farsi version of Neuropsychiatric Inventory (F-NPI), with the aim of promoting clinical assessment and local research on evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptom profiles of individuals with dementia in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional, psychometric study, 100 patients with dementia in the age range of 60-90 years participated. Two trained psychiatrists interviewed the study subjects. Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used to determine the concurrent validity. Test-retest, inter-rater reliability and internal consistency were calculated. Discrimination validity was determined, using a matched control group consisting of 49 participants without dementia. Cronbach's ± and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data. Results: The internal consistency (Cronbach's ± = 0.9) was excellent. The inter-rater reliability varied between 0.6 and 0.98 for frequency, severity and total scale of the F-NPI, and test-retest reliability was between 0.4 and 0.96. Concurrent validity varied between 0.3 and 0.9 (P < 0.05). The most prevalent symptom was 'apathy' and the least prevalent was 'euphoria'. Conclusion: The Farsi version of NPI has satisfactory psychometric indexes and is applicable for clinical and study works in Iranian community.