The high-level mobility assessment tool (HiMAT) for traumatic brain injury. Part 2: content validity and discriminability.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: (i) To assess the measurement properties of the high-level mobility assessment tool (HiMAT) for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), (ii) to measure the extent to which the HiMAT is a uni-dimensional, discriminative hierarchical outcome scale. RESEARCH DESIGN: The content validity was assessed using a three-stage process of investigating internal consistency, factor analysis and Rasch analysis. The uni-dimensionality of the HiMAT items was also tested. Discriminability was investigated by correlating raw and logit scores obtained from Rasch analysis. The study was conducted at a major rehabilitation facility using a convenience sample of 103 adults with TBI. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The internal consistency for the high-level items was very high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.99). Principal axis factoring identified several balance items as belonging to a second factor not related to high-level mobility, hence these items were excluded. Rasch analysis identified several misfitting items, such as walking around a figure of eight and stopping from a run, which were also excluded. Logit scores were used to exclude clustered and, therefore, redundant items. Raw scores correlated very highly (r = 0.98) with logit scores, indicating that raw scores provided good discriminability and were suitable for use by clinicians. CONCLUSION: The HiMAT, which assesses higher-level mobility requirements of people with TBI for return to pre-accident social, leisure and sporting activities, is a uni-dimensional and discriminative scale for quantifying therapy outcomes.

The Mobility Scale for Acute Stroke Patients: concurrent validity.

OBJECTIVE: A new scale, the Mobility Scale for Acute Stroke Patients (MSAS), was developed to specifically discriminate between the lower levels of mobility found in acute stroke patients in the first two weeks post onset. The aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent validity of this new scale with other established scales. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Concurrent validity was assessed with respect to four other well-validated measures: Motor Assessment Scale (MAS), Functional Ambulation Classification system (FAC), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Barthel Index (BI). The measures selected for comparison contained items similar to those in the MSAS. SUBJECTS: From a total of 539 patients who were admitted over a two-year period with a primary diagnosis of stroke, 106 satisfied the criteria for inclusion in this study. RESULTS: The MSAS was found to have a high level of concurrent validity (r > 0.80) when the total score was correlated with the total scores of the MAS, FAC, FIM (mobility and ADL) and BI. A high level of association was found between the nonbed mobility items (sit to stand, stand and walk) of the MSAS and the mobility items (toileting, transfers, walk and stairs) of the FIM and BI. There was a weaker association between the MSAS items and the ADL items (activities of daily living) of the BI and FIM. CONCLUSION: A new scale designed specifically for acute stroke patients was found to have a high degree of concurrent validity when compared with four other scales containing similar items.

Accident cognitions and subsequent psychological trauma.

This study used a sample of 72 consecutive attendees to hospital following motor vehicle accidents. It aimed to assess the relationship between demographic variables, details of the accident and cognitions about the accident recorded soon afterward, and degree of psychological trauma 3 and 6 months later. Psychological trauma was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire, Impact of Event Scale, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Interview. A structured interview was used to gain information about demographic, accident, and accident cognition variables. Results showed that initial cognitions such as perceived threat to life, rather than demographic or accident variables, had the strongest relationships to subsequent trauma.

Coping style and psychological trauma after road accidents.

This prospective study aimed to follow a cohort of road accident victims for 6 months and to examine changes in psychological trauma and coping styles over this time. It also aimed to examine the relationship between initial coping style and subsequent psychological trauma. Seventy-two consecutive hospital attendees were assessed using the General Health Questionnaire, Impact of Event Scale, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Interview and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations. Results showed that there was little change in reported coping style over the 6 months but there was a significant decrease in scores on trauma symptom measures. Initial emotion-focussed coping style and to a lesser extent avoidance had strong positive relationships with later trauma scores.

Self-reported voice problems among three groups of professional singers.

A vocal health questionnaire was administered to three groups of professional singers and a "friendship-matched" group of nonsingers in Melbourne, Australia. The responses of 79 opera, 57 musical theatre and 31 contemporary (excluding rock) singers and 86 nonsingers were analysed. The questionnaire solicited information regarding biographical data speaking and singing voice-use behaviours, and vocal health over the previous 12 months in terms of experiences of vocal impairment, vocal disability, and handicap. Significant differences between singers and nonsingers in the prevalence and nature of voice problems were reported. Of the singers, 44% reported one or more occurrences of a diagnosed vocal condition compared to 21% of nonsingers and 69% of singers experienced vocal disability compared to only 41% of nonsingers, over the previous 12 months. In contrast, no significant differences were found between the three different styles of singers in their experience of vocal impairment, disability or handicap.

Psychological symptoms in rural road trauma victims.

There is limited research into the psychological aftermath for people who have experienced road accidents, especially outside major cities. This study by postal survey used the General Health Questionnaire-28, the Impact of Events Scale, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Interview, and the Late Effects of Accidental Injury Questionnaire to assess the psychological effects on a sample of 80 people who had attended a hospital in a regional Australian centre following road accidents. Results showed that there were marked effects on many people and that these had not always been diagnosed or treated.

Prevalence of voice problems in teachers.

Teachers are frequently cited as experiencing a high rate of vocal dysfunction (1-7). Despite considerable research in the area of voice problems in teachers, the prevalence of voice disorders in this group is unknown. This study investigated the prevalence of self-reported voice problems in teachers using a mail survey of a simple random sample of 1168 state school teachers (preschool-Grade 12) in South Australia. As part of the survey, teachers were asked to report voice problems for the day of the survey, during the current teaching year, and during their careers. The response rate was 75%, with 16% of teachers reporting voice problems on the day of the survey, 20% reporting problems during the current teaching year, and 19% reporting problems at some time during their career. Females were twice as likely as males to report voice problems. These findings clearly indicate a need for further investigation of the causes of vocal dysfunction in teachers and for the development of educational programs aimed at preventing voice problems in this group of professional voice users.

Vocal problems among teachers: a review of prevalence, causes, prevention, and treatment.

Voice disorders are thought to be one of the major occupational hazards of school teaching. The resulting symptoms can affect teachers' ability to function in the classroom and prevent them from developing effective working relationships with other staff and students. Sick leave, speech pathology management, and surgical intervention can be costly. Severe voice problems can also result in a teacher permanently leaving the classroom. Despite the significant implications of voice disorders for teachers, this review of published research demonstrates that findings concerning the prevalence of voice problems in teachers and the causes and contributing factors of those voice problems are inconclusive. Similarly, previous research on the efficacy of prevention programs and treatment of voice problems in teachers provide few firm conclusions. Further research based on sound empirical data is needed, as many past studies have relied on anecdotal or self-report data. More operational definitions of what constitutes a voice disorder and the associated contributing factors should be adopted, along with the use of more instrumental measures and careful attention to methodology and appropriate statistical analyses. Only then will we have a sound basis for the development of effective prevention and education programs for teachers.

Decision polarization among rehabilitation team recommendations concerning discharge housing for stroke patients.

This study sought to identify if decision polarization effects were operating in rehabilitation teams when making discharge housing recommendations for stroke patients. Using a Social Judgment Theory approach, individual clinicians were asked to nominate discharge housing for stroke patients. Teams were then assembled and clinicians repeated the task. The research was conducted at a sample of seven in-patient rehabilitation hospitals. The subjects were 74 clinicians who formed 13 teams. All subjects were volunteers, and represented the following professions: medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and social work. A casebook which described 50 hypothetical stroke patients in terms of eight attributes was devised for the study. Subjects made housing recommendations to these patients using a 7-point scale. When compared to individual clinicians' recommendations, it was found that team housing recommendations made by all 13 teams polarized towards both more supported and, in the other extreme, more independent types of housing. However, teams placed a stronger emphasis on supported housing when compared with individual clinician decisions. This decision polarization suggests that housing recommendations made to patients may reflect team processes as well as patient needs. Rehabilitation teams should be aware of this negative team dynamic so that steps to minimize decision polarization can be taken.

Effect of progesterone and its 5 alpha and 5 beta metabolites on symptoms of premenstrual syndrome according to route of administration.

Orally administered progesterone may have advantages over other routes of administration in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) because of substantially higher levels of the anxiolytic metabolites 5 alpha and 5 beta pregnanolone. The only previous placebo-controlled trial which used oral progesterone reported beneficial effects in the treatment of PMS. The present study, a double-blind crossover trial, compared the administration of 300 mg daily oral progesterone with 200 mg daily vaginal progesterone and matched placebos for 10 days premenstrually. Although there was a significant treatment effect on symptoms, no difference between active treatments and placebo was found. The trial was terminated with 25 women completing treatment as it was evident that no clinically significant effect of either form of progesterone was likely to be detected even with twice the sample size. Serum levels of progesterone and metabolites showed that oral administration resulted in supraphysiological levels of 5 alpha and 5 beta metabolites and there was a negative correlation between 5 alpha pregnanolone levels and anxiety. However, this did not translate to overall reduction in premenstrual distress or anxiety beyond that achieved by placebo, as measured by validated questionnaires.

Rehabilitation teams decisions on discharge housing for stroke patients.

For older people who have had a stroke, appropriate housing can promote independence and well being. However, suboptimal team accommodation recommendations may result in placement of an individual where their needs are not met, and their skills are not maximized. Although clinical judgments regarding patient discharge are routinely made by rehabilitation teams, this area has received limited research attention. This study examines how rehabilitation teams determine the most appropriate housing to recommend to stroke patients after their discharge from hospitals. A Social Judgment Theory approach was used to document and analyze the accommodation recommendations and policies of 13 rehabilitation teams (clinician n = 74). Teams were asked to consider 50 hypothetical stroke patients, and determine the most appropriate discharge housing to recommend to these patients. Each stroke patient was described in terms of 8 attributes: mobility status, ability to manage their own affairs, patient's choice of housing, personal activity of daily living (ADL) skills, domestic and community ADL skills, general health status, social situation, and premorbid living arrangements. Clinicians were provided with a response scale on which to record their recommendations. The results showed considerable yet reliable differences among teams concerning recommendations made, and judgment policies adopted. Although the highly structured and hypothetical nature of this research limits the external validity of findings, the results suggest that teams may also face difficulties with housing recommendations in the more complex clinical environment. Further studies to assess actual clinical team decision making are needed. Such studies could lead to the development of a standardized research-based protocol to help teams formalize and optimize their housing recommendations.

Identifying effective psychological treatments for insomnia: a meta-analysis.

Insomnia is a debilitating and widespread complaint. Concern over the iatrogenic effects of pharmacological therapies has led to the development of several psychological treatments for insomnia. To clarify the effects of these treatments, 66 outcome studies representing 139 treatment groups were included in a meta-analysis. The results indicated that psychological treatments produce considerable enhancement of both sleep patterns and the subjective experience of sleep. In terms of enhancing sleep onset, active treatments were all superior to placebo therapies but did not differ greatly in efficacy. Greater therapeutic gains were available for participants who were clinically referred and who were not regular users of sedative hypnotics. Future research directions are suggested.

Rehabilitation of older injured workers.

This paper provides a review of international findings in rehabilitation outcomes for older workers. Older workers are disadvantaged in terms of their rehabilitation following injury. They sustain more serious injuries, take longer to recover and are less likely to return to work than younger workers. This results in substantial economic costs to the community as well as a reduction in financial security and quality of life for the older person. A number of possible explanations for the relationship between age and rehabilitation outcomes are discussed. It is proposed that the application of a 'biopsychosocial' model to rehabilitation outcome may be a useful way of conceptualizing the complexity of the rehabilitation process in older workers and predicting rehabilitation outcomes.

Seasonality in panic disorder.

Following a clinical observation of increased anxiety symptoms and mood changes during winter in panic disorder patients, the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) was completed by 133 patients. Global Seasonality Scores (GSS), and the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), were significantly higher than reported in general population studies. Seasonal changes were also found in anxiety and panic attacks. These findings suggest the possibility of a common aetiology for panic disorder and SAD, that seasonality may be a far more general phenomenon in psychopathology, and that light therapy may be a useful treatment for some panic disorder patients.

Retest reliability of the temporal and distance characteristics of hemiplegic gait using a footswitch system.

Using a footswitch system, the retest reliability of the temporal and distance parameters of gait was investigated within a session for 22 stroke patients in the early phase of rehabilitation. High to very high reliability was found for the temporal and distance parameters of gait, and the temporal symmetry index based on the difference in single-limb support duration between each leg (r = 0.85 to 0.98; intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC)(2,1) = 0.82 to 0.98). Significant differences were found between the two trials for velocity, stride length, and total double support (p < .05). Despite the high reliability coefficients, 95% confidence intervals, which take into account the random and systematic error, were wide for all parameters. These wide confidence intervals indicate that the use of two consecutive measurements for interpreting an individual patient's change would not be a sensitive method for monitoring progress or deterioration during rehabilitation. Strategies that may improve the clinical usefulness of temporal and distance gait measures in stroke rehabilitation are discussed. These include further reducing error sources, increasing data collection per measurement, using serial measurements on each patient, or using less rigorous confidence intervals.

Sleeping patterns during pregnancy in Japanese women.

Although sleep disturbance is commonly reported in pregnancy, there have been few studies on sleep characteristics in pregnancy. In this study, all women attending the antenatal clinic at Sapporo Medical College Hospital for 1 month during autumn and 3 months during winter were surveyed with a questionnaire and sleep log. Of the 192 patients, 169 (88.0%) stated that sleep was altered from their usual experience. A principal components analysis identified three sleep factors from the ten items in the measure of sleep used (Sleep Log). The three factors were: Sleep Duration and Quality, Insomnia and Daytime Alertness. Although no significant differences across trimesters were found on the three sleep factors, Sleep Duration and Quality, and Insomnia were worst during the first trimester. Sleep normalized in the second trimester, but the third trimester was characterized by increased Insomnia and decreased Daytime Alertness. The most frequent reasons cited by women for sleep alterations were urinary frequency, backache or ache in the hips and fetal movement. Contingency X2 analyses were used to investigate a relationship between the frequency of reporting the reasons and the trimester of pregnancy. Significant increases were found in reporting as the reasons for sleep difficulties, fetal movement in the third trimester, and heartburn, nausea and vomiting in the first trimester. The description of sleep patterns during pregnancy has clinical relevance as sleep alterations in pregnancy are common.

Long-term stability and psychometric properties of the Composite Scale of Morningness.

Prompted by some discrepancies in the report detailing the development of the Composite Scale (CS) of Morningness (Smith et al. 1989) this study replicated the examination of the psychometric properties of the CS on a large sample (n = 424) of health science students. It was confirmed that the mean and range of CS scores previously reported were in error. The finding that the CS has good psychometric properties when used on samples of students was replicated and extended to a smaller (n = 35) sample of individuals working on rotating shifts. CS scores were found to be stable over time and did not change when subjects were exposed to night- and shiftwork.

Melatonin and hormonal changes in disturbed sleep during late pregnancy.

Although sleep disturbance is commonly reported in pregnancy, there have been surprisingly few studies on the etiology of this condition. Since most hormones show circadian rhythmicity and maintain specific phase relationships with that of the sleep-wake cycle, it was of interest to establish whether sleep disturbances covaried with endocrine changes. This overnight study of pregnant women compared melatonin, cortisol, and prolactin secretion rhythms in six good sleepers and six poor sleepers. The groups were compared by ratios of the areas under the various hormonal curves. Significant differences in the cortisol/melatonin ratio were found between the poor sleeper group (lower values) and the good sleeper group (higher values). Nonsignificant trends, which might be expected to become significant with larger sample sizes, were found for decreased amplitude in the cortisol rhythm and increased amplitude in the melatonin rhythm in poor sleepers. The decreased amplitude of the cortisol rhythm in poor sleepers appeared to be due to a suppression of the early morning (0500-0800) rise. Prolactin levels were high and showed no rhythmicity in both groups. These differences may reflect changes in the circadian pacemaker system of poor sleepers, with increases in melatonin release being a response to counteract poor sleep.

Variation in the provision of cardiothoracic physiotherapy in Australian hospitals.

The chief physiotherapists of 47 Australian metropolitan public hospitals were asked about the hours of provision and organisation of cardiothoracic physiotherapy services. Forty three per cent provided physiotherapy services only during the day, 12 per cent during the day and evening, and 45 per cent provided 24-hour coverage. Variation among the states was found in the provision of cardiothoracic physiotherapy. Most hospitals which provided 24-hour coverage used on-call. Thirty three per cent of hospitals rostered staff to work during the evening and only 7 per cent had rostered night shifts. Differences could not be attributed to variations in hospital size. The implications of these findings for the physiotherapy profession and patient care are discussed and the need for further research highlighted.