TCG to Offer On-Site Rater Training in 2011

NEWARK, Del., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning early in 2011, TCG (The Cognition Group) will offer on-site rater training educational seminars for cognitive assessment scales. This new service will help develop on-site staff expertise in a diverse set of screening and efficacy scales not limited to Investigator Meetings (IMs).  Clinical sites that experienced recent turnover in clinical staff, that are newly formed and wish to appeal to pharmaceutical sponsors seeking clinical trial locations, or that are experienced in psychiatric clinical trials but now have a more diverse patient base for Alzheimer's and Mild Cognitive Impairment studies will find the service useful.

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These on-site seminars are created and delivered by TCG's head of science, Anthony Risser, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist experienced in teaching proper use of these measures. Scales can include the ADAS-Cog, the MMSE, and measures of learning and memory.

"Raters must go through careful training for every clinical trial protocol, usually at IMs," said Dr. Risser, "but small-scale on-site training is very personalized, giving raters a firmer background on these scales and their use.  Also, newer sites may need more mentoring between clinical trials."

Typical one or two-day seminars are created for up to 12 potential raters and include didactic presentations, supervised small-group practice, and face-to-face feedback from Dr. Risser on individual performance.

Clinical sites interested in having this training service should contact Rita Kakati (Director, Business Development) at: +1 302 345 5151 (US Cell) / +44 7799 430 782 (Intl. Cell) / [email protected].

For additional information on TCG products and services, please go to cognitiongroup.com and to interview Dr. Risser please contact Jonathan Abramson at [email protected] or phone number 302.357.4860.

About TCG:

TCG (The Cognition Group) is a global company that provides scientific knowledge surrounding the central nervous system, technological innovation and project management expertise to the biopharmaceutical industry. TCG is dedicated to providing solutions that promote clinical research excellence and enhance the administration and data collection for clinical trials. Primary services include the customized rater training program, centralized ratings and computerized cognitive assessment. TCG also offers a variety of complimentary services, including consultancy on cognitive battery design, statistical analysis and report writing

SOURCE TCG