Purpose The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) is used to inventory problems experienced by the patient to set goals and evaluate treatment. We aimed to make a systematic overview of... Show morePurpose The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) is used to inventory problems experienced by the patient to set goals and evaluate treatment. We aimed to make a systematic overview of measurement properties for people in geriatric rehabilitation. Methods Seven electronic databases were searched for psychometric studies investigating content validity, construct validity, responsiveness, or reliability of the COPM in geriatric rehabilitation populations aged >= 60 years. Two reviewers independently abstracted data and assessed methodological quality from included studies. Results Of 292 identified articles, 13 studies were included. The COPM showed good test-retest reliability (two studies), moderate inter-rater reliability (one study), and good content validity (one study with some risk of bias). Four studies with minimal risk of bias showed good construct validity as their hypotheses were confirmed. Responsiveness was moderate in three studies with adequate methodological quality. Conclusion All measurement properties have been studied in geriatric rehabilitation populations, and indicate that the COPM gives relevant information for geriatric rehabilitation, and scores can be assessed reliably and are responsive to change. Although there were many studies on construct validity, authors had different opinions on what exactly COPM-scores tell us, as they used a variety of comparator instruments and different hypotheses. Consensus on exact interpretation of the scores is needed.Key summary pointsAim To make a systematic overview of measurement properties of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) for people in geriatric rehabilitation. Findings COPM showed moderate inter-rater reliability, good test-retest reliability, good content and construct validity, and moderate responsiveness in geriatric rehabilitation. When studying construct validity, authors used a variety of comparator instruments and different hypotheses. Message This overview of properties shows that the COPM gives relevant information for geriatric rehabilitation, and scores can be assessed reliably and are responsive to change. Show less
The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the complex relationship between pain, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and ADL functioning in persons with dementia. Furthermore, we studied the... Show moreThe primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the complex relationship between pain, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and ADL functioning in persons with dementia. Furthermore, we studied the psychometric properties of a new and universal observational pain assessment instrument Pain Assessment In Impaired Cognition: PAIC.The results of this thesis show that pain in nursing home residents with dementia is related to a decline in ADL functions, independent of dementia severity. Specifically, a decline in the ADL activities transferring and bathing.Additionally, the psychometric evaluation of the PAIC presented in this thesis not only results in a promising measurement instrument, but also provides useful information for the development and improvement of educational programmes that contribute to the utilization of the PAIC15. Show less
Andringa, A.; Meskers, C.; Port, I. van de; Zandvliet, S.; Scholte, L.; Groot, J. de; ... ; Wegen, E. van 2021
Patients with poor upper limb motor recovery after stroke are likely to develop increased resistance to passive wrist extension, i.e., wrist hyper-resistance. Quantification of the underlying... Show morePatients with poor upper limb motor recovery after stroke are likely to develop increased resistance to passive wrist extension, i.e., wrist hyper-resistance. Quantification of the underlying neural and non-neural elastic components is of clinical interest. This cross-sectional study compared two methods: a commercially available device (NeuroFlexor (R)) with an experimental EMG-based device (Wristalyzer) in 43 patients with chronic stroke. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (r) between components, modified Ashworth scale (MAS) and range of passive wrist extension (PRoM) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Neural as well as elastic components assessed by both devices were associated (r = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.38-0.77 and r = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.28-0.72, respectively). The neural component assessed by the NeuroFlexor (R) associated significantly with the elastic components of NeuroFlexor (R) (r = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.18-0.67) and Wristalyzer (r = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.06-0.59). The neural component assessed by the Wristalyzer was not associated with the elastic components of both devices. Neural and elastic components of both devices associated similarly with the MAS (r = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.34-0.75 vs. 0.49, 95%CI: 0.22-0.69 and r = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.25-0.70 vs. 0.30, 95%CI: 0.00-0.55); elastic components associated with PRoM (r = -0.44, 95%CI: -0.65- -0.16 vs. -0.74, 95%CI: -0.85- -0.57 for NeuroFlexor (R) and Wristalyzer respectively). Results demonstrate that both methods perform similarly regarding the quantification of neural and elastic wrist hyper-resistance components and have an added value when compared to clinical assessment with the MAS alone. The added value of EMG in the discrimination between neural and non-neural components requires further investigation. Show less
This White Paper by the European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) reports on the current state of screening and non-instrumental assessment for dysphagia in adults. An overview is provided... Show moreThis White Paper by the European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) reports on the current state of screening and non-instrumental assessment for dysphagia in adults. An overview is provided on the measures that are available, and how to select screening tools and assessments. Emphasis is placed on different types of screening, patient-reported measures, assessment of anatomy and physiology of the swallowing act, and clinical swallowing evaluation. Many screening and non-instrumental assessments are available for evaluating dysphagia in adults; however, their use may not be warranted due to poor diagnostic performance or lacking robust psychometric properties. This white paper provides recommendations on how to select best evidence-based screening tools and non-instrumental assessments for use in clinical practice targeting different constructs, target populations and respondents, based on criteria for diagnostic performance, psychometric properties (reliability, validity, and responsiveness), and feasibility. In addition, gaps in research that need to be addressed in future studies are discussed. The following recommendations are made: (1) discontinue the use of non-validated dysphagia screening tools and assessments; (2) implement screening using tools that have optimal diagnostic performance in selected populations that are at risk of dysphagia, such as stroke patients, frail older persons, patients with progressive neurological diseases, persons with cerebral palsy, and patients with head and neck cancer; (3) implement measures that demonstrate robust psychometric properties; and (4) provide quality training in dysphagia screening and assessment to all clinicians involved in the care and management of persons with dysphagia. Show less
The Deglutition Handicap Index (DHI) is a self-report measure for patients at risk of oropharyngeal dysphagia on deglutition-related aspects of functional health status (FHS) and health-related... Show moreThe Deglutition Handicap Index (DHI) is a self-report measure for patients at risk of oropharyngeal dysphagia on deglutition-related aspects of functional health status (FHS) and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). The DHI consists of 30 items which are subsumed within the Symptom, Functional and Emotional subscales. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DHI using Classic Test Theory according to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) criteria. A total of 453 patients with dysphagia with different aetiologies were recruited concurrently at two academic hospitals. Dysphagia was confirmed by fiberoptic endoscopic and/or videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing. In addition, a healthy control group of 132 participants were recruited. Structural validity was determined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and internal consistency by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Hypothesis testing was evaluated using Mann-Whitney U-tests, linear regression analysis and correlations analysis. Diagnostic performance and receiver operating characteristic curves analysis were calculated. Factor analyses indicated that the DHI is a unidimensional measure. The DHI has good internal consistency with some indication of item redundancy, weak to moderate structural validity and strong hypothesis testing for construct validity. The DHI shows high diagnostic performance as part of criterion validity. These findings support that the DHI is an appropriate choice as a patient self-report measure to evaluate FHS and HR-QoL in dysphagia. Ongoing validation to assess the measure for possible item redundancy and to examine the dimensionality of the DHI using item response theory is recommended. Show less
The ability to learn a foreign language, language aptitude, is known to differ between individuals. To better understand second-language learning, language aptitude tests, tapping into the... Show moreThe ability to learn a foreign language, language aptitude, is known to differ between individuals. To better understand second-language learning, language aptitude tests, tapping into the different components of second-language learning aptitude, are widely used. For valid conclusions on comparisons of learners with different language backgrounds, it is crucial that such tests be language neutral. Several studies have investigated the language neutrality of the freely available LLAMA tests (Granena, 2013; Rogers et al., 2016, 2017). So far, comparing a number of L1 backgrounds, including those using different writing systems such as Arabic and Mandarin, no significant differences between participants have been found. However, until now, neither participants with agglutinative language backgrounds nor with first-language backgrounds that use multiple writing systems have been included. Therefore, this study selected participants from three different first-language backgrounds: Dutch (non-agglutinative, phonogram/Latin alphabet), Hungarian (agglutinative, phonogram/Latin alphabet), and Japanese (agglutinative, phonogram/syllabic alphabet and logogram/Japanese kanji). The participants performed three subsets of the LLAMA test. Significant differences between the groups were found on two of these tests: The ability to implicitly recognize sounds (LLAMA_D subtest) and inductive grammar learning ability (LLAMA_F), but no differences were found on vocabulary learning ability (LLAMA_B). Additionally, for LLAMA_B, the number of languages learnt was a significant covariate, confirming earlier findings that some subtests seem to be linked to language learning experience. We discuss the implications of our findings on the validity of the LLAMA_D and LLAMA_F subtests. Show less
Beest, S. van; Kroon, F.P.B.; Kroon, H.M.; Damman, W.; Liu, R.; Bloem, J.L.; ... ; Kloppenburg, M. 2019
BackgroundThis systematic review examined the methodological quality of studies and assessed the psychometric qualities of interview-administered Past-week and Usual-week Physical Activity... Show moreBackgroundThis systematic review examined the methodological quality of studies and assessed the psychometric qualities of interview-administered Past-week and Usual-week Physical Activity Questionnaires (PAQs). Pubmed and Embase were used to retrieve data sources.MethodsThe studies were selected using the following eligibility criteria: 1) psychometric properties of PAQs were assessed in adults; 2) the PAQs either consisted of recall periods of usual 7-days (Usual-week PAQs) within the past 12months or during the past 7-days (Past-week PAQs); and 3) PAQs were interview-administered. The COSMIN taxonomy was utilised to critically appraise study quality and a previously established psychometric criteria employed to evaluate the overall psychometric qualities.ResultsFollowing screening, 42 studies were examined to determine the psychometric properties of 20 PAQs, with the majority of studies demonstrating good to excellent ratings for methodological quality. For convergent validity (i.e., the relationship between PAQs and other measures), similar overall associations were found between Past-week PAQs and Usual-week PAQs. However, PAQs were more strongly associated with direct measures of physical activity (e.g., accelerometer) than indirect measures of physical activity (i.e., physical fitness), irrespective of recall methods. Very few psychometric properties were examined for each PAQ, with the majority exhibiting poor ratings in psychometric quality. Only a few interview-administered PAQs exhibited positive ratings for a single psychometric property, although the other properties were either rated as poor or questionable, demonstrating the limitations of current PAQs.ConclusionAccordingly, further research is necessary to explore a greater number of psychometric properties, or to develop new PAQs by addressing the psychometric limitations identified in the current review. Show less
Speyer, R.; Kim, J.H.; Doma, K.; Chen, Y.W.; Denman, D.; Phyland, D.; ... ; Cordier, R. 2019
PurposeThe current review was conducted to identify all self-report questionnaires on functional health status (FHS) and/or health-related quality-of-life (HR-QoL) in adult populations with... Show morePurposeThe current review was conducted to identify all self-report questionnaires on functional health status (FHS) and/or health-related quality-of-life (HR-QoL) in adult populations with dysphonia (voice problems), and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the retrieved questionnaires.MethodsA systematic review was performed in the electronic literature databases PubMed and Embase. The psychometric properties of the questionnaires were determined using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) taxonomy and checklist. Responsiveness was outside the scope of this review and as no agreed gold standard' measures are available in the field of FHS and HR-QoL in dysphonia, criterion validity was not assessed. Only questionnaires developed and published in English were included.ResultsForty-eight studies reported on the psychometric properties of 15 identified questionnaires. As many psychometric data were missing or resulted from biased study designs or statistical analyses, only preliminary conclusions can be drawn. Based on the current available psychometric evidence in the literature, the Voice Handicap Index seems to be the most promising questionnaire, followed by the Vocal Performance Questionnaire.ConclusionsMore research is needed to complete missing data on psychometric properties of existing questionnaires in FHS and/or HR-QoL. Further, when developing new questionnaires, the use of item response theory is preferred above classical testing theory, as well as international consensus-based psychometric definitions and criteria to avoid bias in outcome data on measurement properties. Show less
As early diagnosis of swallowing and feeding difficulties in infants and children is of utmost importance, there is a need to evaluate the quality of the psychometric properties of pediatric... Show moreAs early diagnosis of swallowing and feeding difficulties in infants and children is of utmost importance, there is a need to evaluate the quality of the psychometric properties of pediatric assessments of swallowing and feeding. A systematic review was performed summarizing the psychometric properties of non-instrumental assessments for swallowing and feeding difficulties in pediatrics; no data were identified for the remaining twelve assessments. The COSMIN taxonomy and checklist were used to evaluate the methodological quality of 23 publications on psychometric properties. For each assessment, an overall quality score for each measurement property was determined. As psychometric data proved incomplete, conflicting or indeterminate for all assessments, only preliminary conclusions could be drawn; the most robust assessment based on current data is the dysphagia disorder survey (DDS). However, further research is needed to provide additional information on all psychometric properties for all assessments. Show less
Early and reliable screening for oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) symptoms in at-risk populations is important and a crucial first stage in effective OD management. The Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10)... Show moreEarly and reliable screening for oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) symptoms in at-risk populations is important and a crucial first stage in effective OD management. The Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) is a commonly utilized screening and outcome measure. To date, studies using classic test theory methodologies report good psychometric properties, but the EAT-10 has not been evaluated using item response theory (e.g., Rasch analysis). The aim of this multisite study was to evaluate the internal consistency and structural validity and conduct a preliminary investigation of the cross-cultural validity of the EAT-10; floor and ceiling effects were also checked. Participants involved 636 patients deemed at risk of OD, from outpatient clinics in Spain, Turkey, Sweden, and Italy. The EAT-10 and videofluoroscopic and/or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing were used to confirm OD diagnosis. Patients with esophageal dysphagia were excluded to ensure a homogenous sample. Rasch analysis was used to investigate person and item fit statistics, response scale, dimensionality of the scale, differential item functioning (DIF), and floor and ceiling effect. The results indicate that the EAT-10 has significant weaknesses in structural validity and internal consistency. There are both item redundancy and lack of easy and difficult items. The thresholds of the rating scale categories were disordered and gender, confirmed OD, and language, and comorbid diagnosis showed DIF on a number of items. DIF analysis of language showed preliminary evidence of problems with cross-cultural validation, and the measure showed a clear floor effect. The authors recommend redevelopment of the EAT-10 using Rasch analysis. Show less
Doma, K.; Speyer, R.; Leicht, A.S.; Cordier, R. 2017
The aim was to critically appraise the methodological quality of studies and determine the psychometric qualities of Past-week and Usual-week Physical Activity Questionnaires (PAQs). Data sources... Show moreThe aim was to critically appraise the methodological quality of studies and determine the psychometric qualities of Past-week and Usual-week Physical Activity Questionnaires (PAQs). Data sources were obtained from Pubmed and Embase. The eligibility criteria for selecting studies included: 1) at least one psychometric property of PAQs was examined in adults; 2) the PAQs either had a recall period of usual 7-days (Usual-week PAQs) within the past 12 months or during the past 7-days (Past-week PAQs); and 3) PAQs were self-administered. Study quality was evaluated using the COSMIN taxonomy and the overall psychometric qualities evaluated using pre-established psychometric criteria. Overall, 45 studies were reviewed to assess the psychometric properties of 21 PAQs with the methodological quality of most studies showing good to excellent ratings. When the relationship between PAQs and other instruments (i.e., convergent validity) were compared between recall methods, Past-week PAQs appeared to have stronger correlations than Usual-week PAQs. For the overall psychometric quality, the Incidental and Planned Exercise Questionnaire for the Usual-week (IPEQ-WA) and for the Past-week (IPEQ-W) had the greatest number of positive ratings. For all included PAQs, very few psychometric properties were assessed with poor ratings for the majority of the overall qualities of psychometric properties indicating the limitation of current PAQs. More research that covers a greater spectrum of psychometric properties is required to gain a better understanding of the qualities of current PAQs. Show less
There is a growing awareness that research of the etiology of depressive and anxiety disorders has been hampered by their strictly categorical definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ... Show moreThere is a growing awareness that research of the etiology of depressive and anxiety disorders has been hampered by their strictly categorical definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The DSM uses a syndrome approach, which __ although beneficial for standardization - has inherent problems that make it suboptimal for research: high rates of (artificial) comorbidity, diagnostic heterogeneity and the unrealistic assumption of discontinuity between ill and healthy. A dimensional approach that focusses on the relative severity of continuous symptom domains could be more optimal but measurement and the added value of such dimensions has been debated. Therefore, this dissertation was aimed to investigate (1) the internal validity and possibility to measure dimensions and (2) their added value in etiological and clinical research. The results showed that measurement of dimensions can be optimized using self-report questionnaires. In addition, dimensions were shown to have added value in etiological and clinical research. Because of their specific and continuous nature, dimensions could be used to uncover symptom-specific and/or non-linear association. Together, the results suggest that dimensions of depression and anxiety have internal and external validity and have the potential to improve the psychiatric research. Show less
Liem, I.S.L.; Kolling, C.; Marks, M.; Nelissen, R.G.H.H.; Goldhahn, J. 2012
