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December 1, 1994

The Neuropsychiatric Inventory
Comprehensive assessment of psychopathology in dementia

December 1994 issue
44 (12) 2308

Abstract

We developed a new instrument, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), to assess 10 behavioral disturbances occurring in dementia patients: delusions, hallucinations, dysphoria, anxiety, agitation/aggression, euphoria, disinhibition, irritability/lability, apathy, and aberrant motor activity. The NPI uses a screening strategy to minimize administration time, examining and scoring only those behavioral domains with positive responses to screening questions. Both the frequency and the severity of each behavior are determined. Information for the NPI is obtained from a caregiver familiar with the patient's behavior. Studies reported here demonstrate the content and concurrent validity as well as between-rater, test-retest, and internal consistency reliability; the instrument is both valid and reliable. The NPI has the advantages of evaluating a wider range of psychopathology than existing instruments, soliciting information that may distinguish among different etiologies of dementia, differentiating between severity and frequency of behavioral changes, and minimizing administration time.

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Published In

Neurology®
Volume 44Number 12December 1994
Pages: 2308
PubMed: 7991117

Publication History

Published online: December 1, 1994
Published in print: December 1994

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Authors

Affiliations & Disclosures

J. L. Cummings, MD
Departments of Neurology (Drs. Cummings and Mega, and D.A. Carusi) and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science (Drs. Cummings and Gray, and S. Rosenberg-Thompson), UCLA School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Psychiatry Service; West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Drs. Cummings and Gray); and the Biomathematical Consulting Unit, Department of Biomathematics (Dr. Gornbein), UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.
M. Mega, MD
Departments of Neurology (Drs. Cummings and Mega, and D.A. Carusi) and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science (Drs. Cummings and Gray, and S. Rosenberg-Thompson), UCLA School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Psychiatry Service; West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Drs. Cummings and Gray); and the Biomathematical Consulting Unit, Department of Biomathematics (Dr. Gornbein), UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.
K. Gray, MD
Departments of Neurology (Drs. Cummings and Mega, and D.A. Carusi) and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science (Drs. Cummings and Gray, and S. Rosenberg-Thompson), UCLA School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Psychiatry Service; West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Drs. Cummings and Gray); and the Biomathematical Consulting Unit, Department of Biomathematics (Dr. Gornbein), UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.
S. Rosenberg-Thompson, RN, MN
Departments of Neurology (Drs. Cummings and Mega, and D.A. Carusi) and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science (Drs. Cummings and Gray, and S. Rosenberg-Thompson), UCLA School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Psychiatry Service; West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Drs. Cummings and Gray); and the Biomathematical Consulting Unit, Department of Biomathematics (Dr. Gornbein), UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.
D. A. Carusi, BS
Departments of Neurology (Drs. Cummings and Mega, and D.A. Carusi) and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science (Drs. Cummings and Gray, and S. Rosenberg-Thompson), UCLA School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Psychiatry Service; West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Drs. Cummings and Gray); and the Biomathematical Consulting Unit, Department of Biomathematics (Dr. Gornbein), UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.
J. Gornbein, DrPH
Departments of Neurology (Drs. Cummings and Mega, and D.A. Carusi) and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science (Drs. Cummings and Gray, and S. Rosenberg-Thompson), UCLA School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Psychiatry Service; West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Drs. Cummings and Gray); and the Biomathematical Consulting Unit, Department of Biomathematics (Dr. Gornbein), UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.

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Cited By
  1. Neurocognitive Disorders and Dementia, Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry, (166-182), (2025).https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-11844-9.00017-5
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  2. Dementia and Cognitive Impairment, International Encyclopedia of Public Health, (316-363), (2025).https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-99967-0.00134-4
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  3. The characteristics of cognitive and daily living functions of neurocognitive disorders with delusions in elderly Alzheimer’s disease, PeerJ, 12, (e18026), (2024).https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18026
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  4. An evaluation of the Newcastle Model in supporting stress and distress in people with dementia in acute general hospital settings, Clinical Psychology Forum, 1, 373, (67-77), (2024).https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpf.2024.1.373.67
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  5. Association between severity of dementia, wandering behavior, and caregiver burden among caregivers of persons living with dementia, Journal of Geriatric Mental Health, 11, 1, (22-26), (2024).https://doi.org/10.4103/jgmh.jgmh_17_23
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  6. Higher Discharge GCS Score is Associated with Both Survival and Long-term Functional Recovery in Patients with Clinically Defined Diffuse Axonal Injury, Indian Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 34, 2, (120-126), (2024).https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpmr.ijpmr_24_24
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  7. Global Research on Care-Related Burden and Quality of Life of Informal Caregivers for Older Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis, Sustainability, 16, 3, (1020), (2024).https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031020
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  8. Difference of Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Profiles among Normal Cognition, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia Patient, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25, 7, (3919), (2024).https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25073919
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  9. Health-Related Quality of Life among Older Adults with Dementia Living in Vietnamese Nursing Homes, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21, 2, (135), (2024).https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020135
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  10. The Efficacy of a Metacognitive Training Program in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 6-Month Follow-Up Clinical Study, Healthcare, 12, 10, (1019), (2024).https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12101019
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