Menopause and Traumatic Brain Injury: A NIDILRR Collaborative TBI Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the experience of menopause symptoms in women with traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study. SETTING: Five sites of the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) program. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 210 women, ages 40-60 years, who were not taking systemic hormones and did not have both ovaries removed: Sixty-one participants were enrolled in the TBIMS, who were at least 2 years post TBI and living in the community. One hundred forty-nine participants without TBI were recruited from a research registry and the metropolitan Detroit community. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A checklist comprised of 21 menopause symptoms assessing four symptom clusters (vasomotor, somatic, psychological, and cognitive). RESULTS: TBI and non-TBI groups did not significantly differ and showed small effect sizes on vasomotor symptoms. On the remaining symptom clusters, women with TBI showed greater presence and severity of symptoms than women without TBI, as well as fewer differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal women on those symptoms. A profile indicating an additive or potentiating effect of TBI on menopause symptoms was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support a conceptual model of menopause and TBI indicating that symptoms most closely associated with estrogen decline are similar for women with and without TBI, whereas symptoms that overlap with common TBI sequelae are generally more frequent and severe among these women. Likely due to lower baseline of symptoms premenopause, postmenopausal women without TBI reported more numerous and severe symptoms relative to their premenopausal counterparts without TBI. Overall, it may be that women without TBI experience menopause as more of a "change" of life, whereas women with TBI chronically face significantly more of these symptoms than women without TBI.

Human-centered design of a novel soft exosuit for post-stroke gait rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Stroke remains a major cause of long-term adult disability in the United States, necessitating the need for effective rehabilitation strategies for post-stroke gait impairments. Despite advancements in post-stroke care, existing rehabilitation often falls short, prompting the development of devices like robots and exoskeletons. However, these technologies often lack crucial input from end-users, such as clinicians, patients, and caregivers, hindering their clinical utility. Employing a human-centered design approach can enhance the design process and address user-specific needs. OBJECTIVE: To establish a proof-of-concept of the human-centered design approach by refining the NewGait® exosuit device for post-stroke gait rehabilitation. METHODS: Using iterative design sprints, the research focused on understanding the perspectives of clinicians, stroke survivors, and caregivers. Two design sprints were conducted, including empathy interviews at the beginning of the design sprint to integrate end-users' insights. After each design sprint, the NewGait device underwent refinements based on emerging issues and recommendations. The final prototype underwent mechanical testing for durability, biomechanical simulation testing for clinical feasibility, and a system usability evaluation, where the new stroke-specific NewGait device was compared with the original NewGait device and a commercial product, Theratogs®. RESULTS: Affinity mapping from the design sprints identified crucial categories for stakeholder adoption, including fit for females, ease of donning and doffing, and usability during barefoot walking. To address these issues, a system redesign was implemented within weeks, incorporating features like a loop-backed neoprene, a novel closure mechanism for the shoulder harness, and a hook-and-loop design for the waist belt. Additional improvements included reconstructing anchors with rigid hook materials and replacing latex elastic bands with non-latex silicone-based bands for enhanced durability. Further, changes to the dorsiflexion anchor were made to allow for barefoot walking. Mechanical testing revealed a remarkable 10-fold increase in durability, enduring 500,000 cycles without notable degradation. Biomechanical simulation established the modularity of the NewGait device and indicated that it could be configured to assist or resist different muscles during walking. Usability testing indicated superior performance of the stroke-specific NewGait device, scoring 84.3 on the system usability scale compared to 62.7 for the original NewGait device and 46.9 for Theratogs. CONCLUSION: This study successfully establishes the proof-of-concept for a human-centered design approach using design sprints to rapidly develop a stroke-specific gait rehabilitation system. Future research should focus on evaluating the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of the NewGait device for post-stroke rehabilitation.

Assessing menopause symptoms in women with traumatic brain injury: the development and initial testing of a new scale.

With greater survival rates after catastrophic injury, more women with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are living longer than ever. However, knowledge about this transition in these women is largely unexamined and there are no scales that have been developed to assess the experience of symptoms. To address this gap, we developed and tested a new scale of menopause symptoms in midlife women with TBI. We selected candidate items from two existing measures based on feedback from focus group discussions with seven women with TBI. Twenty candidate items were tested in cognitive interviews with six women with TBI/1 non-TBI. Then, these were field tested with 221 participants (TBI, n = 68; non-TBI, n = 153) recruited from registries. Rasch analysis and convergent validity testing were used to evaluate the new scale. Results of the Rasch analysis indicate that overall, the scale fits well the Rasch model with evidence for unidimensionality. Differential item functioning indicated that the scale performed equally well for women with and without TBI and distinguished pre- and post-menopausal states. Convergent validity was found in the expected directions. These findings support further development of the new scale to understand the experience of menopause symptoms among women with TBI.

Psychometric properties of the spinal cord injury-quality of life (SCI-QOL) Resilience item bank in a sample with spinal cord injury and chronic pain.

PURPOSE: To describe the psychometric properties (e.g., data distribution characteristics, convergent/discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, and test administration characteristics) of the spinal cord injury quality of life measurement system (SCI-QOL) Resilience item bank delivered as a computer adaptive test (CAT) in a sample of individuals with chronic pain and spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Descriptive statistics were calculated to investigate variable data distribution characteristics. Correlation analyses were conducted for convergent and discriminant validity. Item response theory-derived reliability was calculated for the SCI-QOL Resilience CAT. RESULT: One hundred thirty-three adults with SCI (N = 133; 73.5% male, 26.5% female) were enrolled. Sample mean T score on the SCI-QOL Resilience measure was 48.40, SD = 8.60 (min = 29.4; max = 70.0). The CAT administered between 4 (most common, 41.4% of cases) and 12 (9% of cases) items with the Mean#items = 5.73, SD = 2.45. The SCI-QOL Resilience CAT scores were normally distributed, with very low ceiling (0%) and floor (3%) effects. The SCI-QOL Resilience CAT had a reliability of 0.89, and the mean length of time for respondents to complete the SCI-QOL Resilience CAT was 44.34 s. SCI-QOL Resilience CAT validity was supported by significant moderate correlations with pain acceptance, depressive symptoms, pain catastrophizing, positive affect and well-being, and pain interference (convergent validity) and small non-significant correlations with age, sex, injury level, pain intensity, mobility level, and years since injury (discriminant validity). CONCLUSION: The SCI-QOL Resilience CAT demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity. The CAT administration characteristics were impressive: With few items (low response burden), the scale achieved good reliability.

Physical Function Recovery Trajectories After Spinal Cord Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To explore trajectories of functional recovery that occur during the first 2 years after spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING: Eight SCI Model System sites. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 479 adults with SCI completed 4 Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index (SCI-FI) item banks within 4 months of injury and again at 2 weeks, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after baseline assessment (N=479). INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: SCI-FI Basic Mobility/Capacity (C), Fine Motor Function/C, Self-care/C, and Wheelchair Mobility/Assistive Technology (AT) item banks. RESULTS: Growth mixture modeling was used to identify groups with similar trajectory patterns. For the Basic Mobility/C and Wheelchair Mobility/AT domains, models specifying 2 trajectory groups were selected. For both domains, a majority class exhibited average functional levels and gradual improvement, primarily in the first 6 months. A smaller group of individuals made gradual improvements but had greater initial functional limitations. The Self Care/C domain exhibited a similar pattern; however, a third, small class emerged that exhibited substantial improvement in the first 6 months. Finally, for individuals with tetraplegia, trajectories of Fine Motor Function/C scores followed 2 patterns, with individuals reporting generally low initial scores and then making either modest or large improvements. In individual growth curve models, injury/demographic factors predicted initial functional levels but less so regarding rates of recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Trajectories of functional recovery followed a small number of change patterns, although variation around these patterns emerged. During the first 2 years after initial hospitalization, SCI-FI scores showed modest improvements; however, substantial improvements were noted for a small number of individuals with severe limitations in fine motor and self-care function. Future studies should further explore the personal, medical, and environmental characteristics that influence functional trajectories during these first 2 years and beyond.

Greener on the other side? an analysis of the association between residential greenspace and psychological well-being among people living with spinal cord injury in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from a multisite survey study. OBJECTIVES: To describe associations between residential greenspace and psychological well-being among adults living with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Community. METHODS: Participants were from the Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Calibration Study (N = 313). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis was used to define five- and half-mile buffer areas around participants' residential addresses to represent community and neighborhood environments, respectively, and to create measures of natural and developed open greenspace. Associations of greenspace measures with two SCI-QOL psychological well-being domains (positive affect and depressive symptoms) were modeled using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, adjusted for demographic, injury-related, and community socioeconomic characteristics. RESULTS: People living in a community with a moderate amount of natural greenspace reported less positive affect and more depressive symptoms compared to people living in a community with low natural greenspace. At the neighborhood level, a moderate amount of developed open space was associated with less positive affect and more depressive symptoms than a low amount of developed open space. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to expectations, residential greenspace had a negative relationship with psychological well-being in this sample of adults with SCI. Understanding how and why natural spaces are associated with quality of life for people with mobility disabilities can influence public policy and urban planning designs to ensure that residential greenspaces are accessible and beneficial to all.

"I Tell Them What I Can Feel and How Far My Legs Can Bend": Optimizing Sexual Satisfaction for Women With Spina Bifida.

BACKGROUND: There is a high reported rate of sexual dysfunction among women with spina bifida, but little is known about the etiology of this or how sexual satisfaction could be improved. AIM: To identify, through the words of women with spina bifida, perceived causes of diminished sexual satisfaction and recommendations to optimize partnered sexual encounters. METHODS: In this qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 22 women with spina bifida (median age 26.5 years, range 16-52 years) who have had a romantic partner. Using Grounded Theory, interviews were independently coded by 3 reviewers. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. OUTCOMES: We identified overlapping themes of issues women experienced during sexual intimacy and strategies they learned to improve sexual encounters. RESULTS: 7 salient themes emerged from the data: (i) fear of rejection with resulting difficulty setting boundaries and the risk of coercion; (ii) conflict between spontaneity and self-care in sexual encounters; (iii) worry about incontinence during sex; (iv) trial and error in learning optimal sexual positions; (v) decreased genital sensation; (vi) safety considerations; and (vii) sharing advice with other women with spina bifida. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: As sexual satisfaction is influenced by physical features as well as psychological, interpersonal, and sociocultural factors, optimizing sexual satisfaction of women with spina bifida is best managed with a holistic approach utilizing a biopsychosocial model. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The sample included women with a diverse range of functional impairments. Women were forthright with their comments and thematic saturation was reached. Recruitment was primarily from a single Midwestern institution, which may have limited sampled perspectives. CONCLUSION: While women with spina bifida encounter challenges during sexual encounters, strategies focused on improving communication with partners and addressing specific physical considerations can potentially enhance their sexual experiences. Streur CS, Schafer CL, Garcia VP, et al. "I Tell Them What I Can Feel and How Far My Legs Can Bend": Optimizing Sexual Satisfaction for Women With Spina Bifida. J Sex Med 2020;17;1694-1704.

Self-report of pain in young people and adults with spastic cerebral palsy: interrater reliability of the revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (r-FLACC) scale ratings.

AIM: People with cerebral palsy (CP) are often unable to express pain owing to cognitive or speech impairments. Reports that rely on observation can be inaccurate, because behaviours such as grimacing, common in people with spastic CP, resemble pain expressions. We examined preliminary validity and reliability of the revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (r-FLACC) scale in people with spastic CP. METHOD: Forty-eight young people and adults (35 females, 13 males; mean [SD] age 29y 2mo [13y]) were video-recorded during a standard examination, rating their pain (0-10) afterwards. Two raters completed the r-FLACC using the video recordings. Interrater reliability was assessed with an unconditional cross-classified random-effects model and item response theory approach; Pearson correlations measured agreement between raters and participants. RESULTS: Mean (SD) participant (n=48) pain scores were 2.48 (2.5) and mean (SD) r-FLACC scores were 1.46 (1.68). There was moderate agreement between raters (intraclass coefficient 0.41 and 0.57 respectively) but low agreement between participants and raters (r=0.26). There were no significant effects for raters (lay observers, nurses, physicians, and inexperienced raters). INTERPRETATION: Results provide mixed support for the interrater reliability of the r-FLACC in people with spastic CP. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: The revised Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (r-FLACC) scale can be reliably used by experts and lay raters for people with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Support is mixed for interrater reliability of the r-FLACC scale used with people with spastic CP.

The Association of Performance Status and Disease Severity in Patients With Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the relationship between functional status and degree of specific organ involvement, physical performance, and subjective well-being chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. DESIGN: Observational cohort. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients (N=121) with cGVHD with 634 assessments. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS). Skin, fascia/joints, lungs, upper and lower extremity range of motion, liver, eye, mucosal, and gastrointestinal involvement were measured using the National Institutes of Health GVHD scale. Physical performance was assessed with the 2-minute walk test (2MWT) and hand grip strength. Subjective measures were the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and Lee Symptom Burden (LSB) scale. RESULTS: Myofascial (P<.001) and lung (P=.001) involvement, 2MWT (P<.001), LSB (P<.001), and PHQ-9 (P=.03) had the largest associations with KPS with liver (P=.05) and hand grip strength (P<.001) more modest associations with KPS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cGVHD experience multifactorial impairment in function associated with potentially modifiable symptoms physiatrists have the expertise to address to enhance function. More research is needed to determine rehabilitation interventions to mitigate the impact of cGVHD on function.

The Burden of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in the United States: Disability-Adjusted Life Years.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the burden of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) as defined by nonfatal health loss and premature mortality among a large sample of participants over a 44-year period, and estimate the national burden of SCI in the United States for the year 2010. DESIGN: Longitudinal. SETTING: National SCI Model Systems and Shriners Hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (N=51,226) were categorized by neurologic level of injury as cervical (n=28,178) or thoracic and below (n=23,048). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The burden of SCI was calculated in years lost due to premature mortality (YLL), years lived with disability (YLD), and disability-adjusted life years (DALY). RESULTS: For those with cervical level injuries, the overall YLLs and YLDs were 253,745 and 445,709, respectively, for an estimated total of 699,454 DALYs. For those with thoracic and below level injuries, the overall YLLs and YLDs were 153,885 and 213,160, respectively, for an estimated total of 367,045 DALYs. Proportionally adjusted DALYs attributable to SCI in 2010 were 445,911. CONCLUSIONS: SCIs accounted for over 1 million years of healthy life lost in a national sample over a 44-year span. We estimated that 445,911 DALYs resulted from SCIs in the US in 2010 alone, placing the national burden of SCIs above other impactful conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Future investigations may employ DALYs to monitor trends in SCI burden in response to innovations in SCI care and identify subgroups of persons with SCIs for whom tailored interventions might improve DALYs.

Contextualizing disability: a cross-sectional analysis of the association between the built environment and functioning among people living with spinal cord injury in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from a multisite cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the association between the built environment and physical functioning reported by adults living with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Four US Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems centers in New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, and Michigan. METHODS: Participants were from the Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index/Capacity (SCI-FI/C) development study. Survey data from N = 402 participants were geocoded for analysis. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis was used to define five- and half-mile buffer areas around participants' residential addresses to represent the community and neighborhood environments, respectively, and to create measures of land use, residential density, destination density, and park space. The relationships between these built environment features and four domains of physical functioning-basic mobility, wheelchair mobility, self-care, and fine motor function-were modeled using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. RESULTS: People with paraplegia living in neighborhoods with more destinations and a nearby park reported higher levels of self-care functioning. For people with tetraplegia, living in a community with more destinations was associated with better wheelchair mobility and fine motor functioning, and living in a neighborhood with high land use mix was associated with higher fine motor functioning scores. CONCLUSIONS: The association between the built environment and functioning after SCI is supported and in need of further investigation. Understanding the environmental context of disability may lead to community-based interventions and effective public policy that will attenuate the experience of limitations and promote accessibility on a larger scale.

The reliability of end of day and ecological momentary assessments of pain and pain interference in individuals with spinal cord injury.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the most efficient means of measuring pain intensity and pain interference comparing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to end of day (EOD) data, with the highest level of measurement reliability as examined in individuals with spinal cord injury. METHODS: EMA (five times throughout the day) and EOD ratings of pain and pain interference were collected over a 7-day period. Multilevel models were used to examine the reliability for both EOD and EMA assessments in order to determine the amount of variability in these assessments over the course of a week or the day, and a multilevel version of the Spearman-Brown Prophecy formula was used to estimate values for reliability. RESULTS: Findings indicate the minimum of number of EOD and EMA assessments needed to achieve different levels of reliability ("adequate" > 0.70, "good" > 0.80 and excellent > 0.90). In addition, the time of day (either morning, midday or evening) did not impact the estimated reliability for the EMA assessments. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can help researchers and clinician balance the cost/benefit tradeoffs of these different types of assessments by providing specific cutoffs for the numbers of each type of assessment that are needed to achieve excellent reliability.

The Effects of Local Anesthesia Administration on Pain Experience During Interventional Spine Procedures: A Prospective Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: It has been postulated that local anesthetic administration may be the most painful part of interventional spine procedures. Despite this, there is a lack of evidence supporting the commonly used traditional technique of anesthetic delivery as part of these procedures. This study tested three hypotheses: 1) alternative method of local anesthesia injection is superior to the traditional method; 2) using the traditional method of injection is not superior to using no local anesthetic; and 3) treatment needle size, anesthetic injection technique, and sedation are associated with pain experienced during procedures. DESIGN: Prospective, multicenter clinical trial of 127 participants who underwent elective bilateral symmetric interventional spine procedures in outpatient spine clinics. METHODS: Primary outcomes were pain scores during and after procedures to examine the influence of anesthetic injection method and treatment needle gauge on pain experience using linear mixed model regression analysis. A post-hoc comparison of estimated marginal mean pain scores was completed on both anesthetic injection method and treatment needle gauge. CONCLUSIONS: The alternative method was superior (P < 0.05) to the traditional method on post procedural pain scores. Injecting local anesthetic with the traditional or alternative method was not superior to using no local anesthetic. Treatment needle size, pain at one inch of treatment needle insertion, and baseline pain were all significantly (P < 0.05) associated with overall procedural pain. Further studies are needed optimize and justify local anesthetic injections for these procedures.

To What Extent Do Neighborhood Differences Mediate Racial Disparities in Participation After Spinal Cord Injury?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of residential neighborhood characteristics in accounting for race disparities in participation among a large sample of community-living adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from the national Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) database linked with national survey and spatial data. SETTING: SCIMS database participants enrolled at 10 collaborating centers active in follow-up between 2000 and 2014. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of persons with SCI (N=6892) in 5441 Census tracts from 50 states and the District of Columbia. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique was used to measure full participation across 4 domains: physical independence, mobility, occupation, and social integration. RESULTS: Racial minority groups had lower odds of reporting full participation relative to whites across all domains, suggesting that blacks and Hispanics are at risk for poorer community reintegration after SCI. Neighborhood characteristics, notably differences in socioeconomic advantage, reduced race group differences in the odds of full occupational and social integration, suggesting that the race disparities in community reintegration after SCI are partially attributable to variation in the economic characteristics of the places where people live. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation suggests that addressing disadvantage at the neighborhood level may modify gaps in community participation after medical rehabilitation and provides further support for the role of the environment in the experience of disability.

Distinguishing grief from depression during acute recovery from spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether grief is a psychometrically sound construct that is distinct from depression in individuals who have recently sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation units at 3 geographically diverse, university-affiliated medical centers. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with SCI (N=206) were recruited (163 men [79.1%]). Most patients were non-Hispanic whites (n=175 [85.0%]). Most patients sustained a cervical SCI (n=134 [64.4%]). Various injury etiologies were represented, with the majority being accounted for by falls (n=72 [31.5%]) and vehicle-related accidents (n=69 [33.5%]). The mean time since injury was 53.5±40.5 days. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: An adapted version of the 12-item structured clinical interview for Prolonged Grief Disorder was used to assess symptoms of grief, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to measure depression. Demographic and injury-related data were also collected. RESULTS: A principal component analysis (with direct oblimin rotation) of the grief measure suggested a 2-component solution. The content of items loading on the separate components suggested 2 subscales: loss (6 items; Cronbach α=.810) and trauma (6 items; Cronbach α=.823). Follow-up principal component analyses including both grief and depression measures suggested clear differentiation of grief-related loss from depression. The prevalence of clinically significant levels of grief was low (6%), and levels of depression were consistent with previous findings related to inpatient rehabilitation (23.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The items used to assess grief symptoms in patients participating in inpatient rehabilitation for recently sustained SCI appear to capture a psychometrically reliable construct that is distinct from that of depression. Research is needed on the predictive validity of early grief symptoms after SCI and the relation of grief to other psychological constructs over time.

Novel risk factors associated with current suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempts in individuals with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To determine unique associations of suicidal ideation (SI) and lifetime suicide attempts (SAs) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING: Outpatient. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with SCI (N=2533) who were 18 years or older with a history of traumatic SCI. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Any SI in the past 2 weeks (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire) and any lifetime SA. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-three individuals (13.3%) reported SI in the past 2 weeks and 179 (7.4%) reported lifetime SA. After controlling for other factors, both lifetime SA and current SI were associated with study site and current level of depression. In addition, SA was associated with less education, younger age at injury, having current or past treatment of depression, and having bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. SI was associated with more years since injury and lifetime SA. Several psychological factors were associated with current SI and lifetime SAs, including lower environmental reward and less positive affect. In addition, control of one's community activities and spiritual well-being were associated with current SI. In bivariate comparisons, severity of SCI was also associated with the 47% of the SAs that occurred after injury. CONCLUSIONS: Several unique associations of SI and lifetime SA in individuals with SCI were identified, including level of environmental reward and control, spiritual well-being, and severity of SCI. These factors bear further investigation as prospective risk factors for suicidal behavior after SCI.

Measuring grief and loss after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Grief and Loss item bank and short form.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an item response theory (IRT) calibrated Grief and Loss item bank as part of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system. DESIGN: A literature review guided framework development of grief/loss. New items were created from focus groups. Items were revised based on expert review and patient feedback and were then field tested. Analyses included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), graded response IRT modeling and evaluation of differential item functioning (DIF). SETTING: We tested a 20-item pool at several rehabilitation centers across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 717 individuals with SCI answered the grief and loss questions. RESULTS: The final calibrated item bank resulted in 17 retained items. A unidimensional model was observed (CFI=0.976; RMSEA=0.078) and measurement precision was good (theta range between -1.48 to 2.48). Ten items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes found this to be negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Grief and Loss item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available.

Measuring positive affect and well-being after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Positive Affect and Well-being bank and short form.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an item response theory (IRT)-calibrated spinal cord injury (SCI)-specific Positive Affect and Well-being (PAWB) item bank with flexible options for administration. DESIGN: Qualitative feedback from patient and provider focus groups was used to expand on the Neurological Disorders and Quality of Life (Neuro-QOL) positive affect & well-being item bank for use in SCI. New items were created and revised based on expert review and patient feedback and were then field tested. Analyses included confirmatory factor analysis, graded response IRT modeling and evaluation of differential item functioning (DIF). SETTING: We tested a 32-item pool at several rehabilitation centers across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 717 individuals with SCI answered the PAWB questions. RESULTS: A unidimensional model was observed (Confirmatory Fit Index=0.947; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation=0.094) and measurement precision was good (reliability in theta of -2.9 to 1.2 is roughly equivalent to classical reliability of 0.95 or above). Twelve items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes, the DIF was determined to be negligible and would have little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 28 retained items CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life PAWB bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and a computer adaptive test is available.

Measuring self-esteem after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank and short form.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Self-esteem item bank. DESIGN: Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a self-esteem item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory-(IRT) based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit, differential item functioning (DIF) and precision. SETTING: We tested a pool of 30 items at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital, and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the self-esteem items. RESULTS: A unidimensional model was observed (CFI=0.946; RMSEA=0.087) and measurement precision was good (theta range between -2.7 and 0.7). Eleven items were flagged for DIF; however, effect sizes were negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 23 retained items. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available.

Measuring resilience after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank and short form.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Resilience item bank and short form. DESIGN: Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a resilience item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit and differential item functioning (DIF). SETTING: We tested a 32-item pool at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the Resilience items. RESULTS: A unidimensional model was observed (CFI=0.968; RMSEA=0.074) and measurement precision was good (theta range between -3.1 and 0.9). Ten items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes we found this to be negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 21 retained items. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available.