Consensus recommendations on rater training and certification.

There is currently no accepted standard for the clinical research industry to follow when selecting and training raters to administer rating scales in clinical neuroscience trials. This article offers guidelines, based on expert recommendations of the CNS Summit Rater Training and Certification Committee, for selecting, training, and evaluating raters. The article also defines terminology and offers recommendations for considering raters with prior training and certification. These guidelines are intended for investigators, pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, and other entities involved in clinical neuroscience trials.