The Cognitive Function at Work Questionnaire (CFWQ): A new scale for measuring cognitive complaints in occupational population.

Cognitive functioning is a relevant work and health related topic, however, validated methods to assess subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) at work are lacking. We introduce the Cognitive Function at Work Questionnaire (CFWQ) for measuring SCC in occupational settings. 1-year follow-up data of 418 employees from a Finnish public media service company was analyzed. Participants completed web-based CFWQ, cognitive tests and a broad set of questionnaires for evaluating depression, anxiety, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, burnout, stress, mental job burden, work ability, cognitive errors, and perceived health. The factor analysis yielded a model with the CFWQ subdomains: Memory, Language, Executive Function, Speed of Processing, Cognitive Control and Name Memory. The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .87) and the test-retest constancy (ICC = .84) reflected good reliability. Correlation between the CFWQ and cognitive errors at work ranged from .25 to .64 indicating adequate concurrent validity. Employees with depression, insomnia and burnout symptoms had higher (p < .001) CFWQ scores than participants without these symptoms. Depression and burnout symptom severity as well as accumulation of mood, sleep, and psychosocial stressors were associated with higher CFWQ scores (p < .001 in all). The CFWQ appears psychometrically sound measure for the assessment of SCC in occupational population.

Driving ability in stroke patients with residual visual inattention: a case study.

Driving ability of three patients having a right hemisphere infarct and residual visual inattention was examined. The neuropsychological examination included the Peripheral Perception Test and the Signal Detection Test from the Vienna Test System, and the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT). Driving ability was assessed with an on-road evaluation. The patients had no neglect based on the BIT and had normal visual fields, but they showed slightly poorer visual search on the left side. All patients passed the official on-road driving test and were considered capable of driving. This study raises the question if acute neglect can recover to a degree in which driving may be possible.

Validation of a New Cognitive Screening Method for Stroke Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Two million adults under fifty years of age have a cerebral stroke every year worldwide. Neuropsychological assessment is the best way to identify poststroke cognitive dysfunction, but it is often time-consuming and can be tiring for the patient, and hospitals vary in their availability of neuropsychological expertise. A valid and reliable cognitive screening method could be advantageous in identifying patients who need comprehensive neuropsychological examination. Our purpose in this study was to validate a newly developed cognitive screening method as an identifier of cognitive dysfunction after stroke in working-aged patients. METHODS: We analyzed new cognitive screening method concurrent validity by comparing it in two groups formed on the basis of a comprehensive neuropsychological examination for 77 stroke patients. We identified the best balance of sensitivity and specificity by using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and investigated the impact of the sociodemographic variables to the screening method total score variation. RESULTS: We found a significant correlation between the method's total score and performance in neuropsychological examination. The cognitive method's internal consistency was strong; Cronbach's alpha for all items was .818. The best balance of sensitivity (88%) and specificity (50%) was found at a total score cut point of 138. Subjects' age and length of education were each responsible for 10% of total score variation. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows promising results for this new cognitive screening tool's ability to identify poststroke cognitive decline and patients' need for further detailed neuropsychological examination.