Unilateral Spatial Neglect May Not Be Detected by Performance-Based Functional Neglect Assessment.

IMPORTANCE: Unilateral spatial neglect (neglect) poststroke is disabling. It is critical that people with neglect are identified so that treatment can be provided to maximize independence. However, there is some evidence to suggest that existing assessments may not adequately measure neglect. It is unclear whether assessments also fail to identify people with neglect entirely. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there are stroke survivors who self-report neglect symptoms that are not detected by therapist-rated assessments and to compare self-report and therapist-ratings. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: U.S. university research center. PARTICIPANTS: Unilateral stroke survivors (N = 133). INTERVENTION: Not applicable. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS) was administered to participants and scored by a trained occupational therapist. The parallel self-evaluation anosognosia form was also administered to participants to self-report and rate neglect symptoms. RESULTS: Forty-eight participants (36.1%) were classified as without neglect on the basis of therapist-rated total CBS scores, yet 30 (62.5%) of these 48 participants reported symptoms of neglect on the CBS self-evaluation anosognosia form. There was a significant difference (p < .001) between therapist-rated and self-rated total CBS scores. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Our results indicate that many stroke survivors report some level of disability associated with neglect yet do not meet the criteria to be classified as having neglect according to a commonly used therapist-rated performance-based measure. Plain-Language Summary: The findings of this study contribute to the evidence that existing assessments used by occupational therapists to measure performance-based neglect may not always detect neglect symptoms comprehensively in people poststroke. The finding also suggest that we may be missing neglect symptoms entirely. Occupational therapists should consider using various methods to assess for neglect, including patient self-report and comprehensive occupational profiles. Clinicians should also thoroughly screen all clients with stroke for neglect, regardless of lesion location.

Interpreting Action Research Arm Test Assessment Scores to Plan Treatment.

Rasch keyforms can help interpret clinical assessment scores. The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) is a commonly used assessment, yet no keyform currently exists. The aim is to provide a keyform for the ARAT and demonstrate how a clinician can use the keyform to design optimally challenging rehabilitation sessions. Secondary analysis of ARAT data ( n = 122) using confirmatory factor and Rasch analyses were used to examine the measurement properties and generate a keyform. The item standardized factor loadings were >0.40 (range = 0.82-0.96) and R2 values were >.60 (range = .65-.96). All items exhibited adequate infit statistics with point measure correlations >.60 (range = .72-.97). Person reliability was .98, and person separation was 7.07. Item-difficulty measures ranged from -2.78 logits to 2.64 logits. The ARAT has strong measurement properties, and a keyform was provided. We showed how the keyform can be utilized by clinicians to interpret scores, set goals, and plan treatment.

Translating measurement findings into rehabilitation practice: an example using Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity with patients following stroke.

Standardized assessments are critical for advancing clinical rehabilitation, yet assessment scores often provide little information for rehabilitation treatment planning. A keyform recovery map is an innovative way for a therapist to record patient responses to standardized assessment items. The form enables a therapist to view the specific items that a patient can or cannot perform. This information can assist a therapist in tailoring treatments to a patient's individual ability level. We demonstrate how a keyform recovery map can be used to inform clinical treatment planning for individuals with stroke-related upper-limb motor impairment. A keyform map of poststroke upper-limb recovery defined by items of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) was generated by a previously published Rasch analysis. Three individuals with stroke enrolled in a separate research study were randomly selected from each of the three impairment strata of the FMA-UE. Their performance on each item was displayed on the FMA-UE keyform. The forms directly connected qualitative descriptions of patients' motor ability to assessment measures, thereby suggesting appropriate shorter and longer term rehabilitation goals. This study demonstrates how measurement theory can be used to translate a standardized assessment into a useful, evidence-based tool for making clinical practice decisions.

Longitudinal stability of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the longitudinal stability of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) of the upper-extremity item difficulties by using Rasch analysis. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of existing data from a cohort longitudinal study of stroke recovery. SETTING: University research center. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 377 people, ages 69.2+/-11.2 years, to whom the assessment was administered at 2 weeks and 6 months poststroke. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differential item function analysis performed by using the Winsteps software program examined whether the item difficulty hierarchical order of a modified 30-item FMA for the upper extremity (reflex items removed) was invariant across 2 testing occasions. RESULTS: Only 2 items (shoulder flexion to 180 degrees, movement with normal speed) showed large differences in test-retest item difficulty calibration. Item instability had no practical consequences on the longitudinal measurement of person ability. CONCLUSIONS: The 30-item assessment shows a longitudinally stable item difficulty order and is valid for measuring volitional arm motor ability over time.

Dimensionality and construct validity of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dimensionality and construct validity of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity by using Rasch analysis. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of pooled data from 2 existing datasets: a randomized therapeutic exercise clinical trial and a cohort longitudinal study of stroke recovery. SETTING: University research center. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 512 subjects, ages 69.8+/-11.1 years, who were 0 to 145 days poststroke. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dimensionality was examined with principal components analysis and Rasch item-fit statistics. The Rasch-derived item hierarchy was examined for consistency with the expected course of poststroke upper-extremity recovery suggested by the reflex-hierarchical conceptual model underlying the assessment. RESULTS: Factor loadings and item infit statistics suggested that the 3 reflex items were empirically disconnected from other assessment items. The reflex items were removed. The modified 30-item assessment showed a unidimensional structure. The Rasch-item-difficulty order was not consistent with the expected item order. CONCLUSIONS: The items testing resting-state reflexes may threaten the assessment's dimensionality. With reflex items removed, the assessment is a unidimensional measure of volitional movement. The Rasch-generated item-difficulty order challenges the hierarchical structure implied by the instrument's underlying conceptual framework.