Table 2.

Assessment scales mainly used in the clinical trials reviewed.

Scale acronym	Definition	Description
ADAS-Cog	Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale	Standard instrument for measuring cognitive ability on an 11-item scale in patients with mild-to-moderate disease. Scores range from 0 to 70, with higher scores indicating higher impairment
ADCS-ADL	Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study- Activities for Daily Living	Assessment of functional abilities on a 19-item, 54-point scale modified for moderate-to-severe dementia (a 23-item scale is used for mild-to-moderate disease subjects). A higher score indicates better functioning
CIBIC-plus	Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change plus	Caregiver input evaluates overall global change relative to the baseline level in cognitive, functional, and behavioural aspects. The scale ranges from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worsened)
FAST	Functional Assessment Staging	Evaluates dementia progression from stage 1 (normal) to 7 (severe dementia)
GDS	Global Deterioration Scale	Evaluates overall cognitive and functional capacity on a 7-stage scale, based on the patient and caregiver assessment. Higher stages indicate greater impairment
MMSE	Mini-Mental State Examination	Evaluates the cognitive function on a 30-point scale. A higher score indicates a better function
NPI	Neuropsychiatric Inventory	Caregiver-rated assessment that evaluates the patient's behaviour on a 12-item, 144-point scale. A lower score indicates a better behavior
SIB	Severe Impairment Battery	Evaluates the cognitive dysfunction on a 40-item, 100-point scale in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. A higher score indicates better cognitive functioning