Li-Chen Tung1, Wan-Hui Yu2, Gong-Hong Lin2, Tzu-Ying Yu3, Chien-Te Wu2,4, Chia-Yin Tsai5, Willy Chou1,6, Mei-Hsiang Chen7,8, Ching-Lin Hsieh2,9. 1. a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Chi Mei Medical Center , Tainan , Taiwan ; 2. b School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University , Taipei , Taiwan ; 3. c Department of Occupational Therapy , I-Shou University , Kaohsiung , Taiwan ; 4. d Department of Psychiatry , National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan ; 5. e Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , E-Da Hospital/I-Shou University , Kaohsiung , Taiwan ; 6. f Department of Recreation and Health Care Management , Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy , Tainan , Taiwan ; 7. g School of Occupational Therapy, Chung Shan Medical University , Taichung , Taiwan ; 8. h Occupational Therapy Room, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital , Taichung , Taiwan ; 9. i Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To develop a Tablet-based Symbol Digit Modalities Test (T-SDMT) and to examine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the T-SDMT in patients with stroke. METHODS: The study had two phases. In the first phase, six experts, nine college students and five outpatients participated in the development and testing of the T-SDMT. In the second phase, 52 outpatients were evaluated twice (2 weeks apart) with the T-SDMT and SDMT to examine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the T-SDMT. RESULTS: The T-SDMT was developed via expert input and college student/patient feedback. Regarding test-retest reliability, the practise effects of the T-SDMT and SDMT were both trivial (d=0.12) but significant (p≦0.015). The improvement in the T-SDMT (4.7%) was smaller than that in the SDMT (5.6%). The minimal detectable changes (MDC%) of the T-SDMT and SDMT were 6.7 (22.8%) and 10.3 (32.8%), respectively. The T-SDMT and SDMT were highly correlated with each other at the two time points (Pearson's r=0.90-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The T-SDMT demonstrated good concurrent validity with the SDMT. Because the T-SDMT had a smaller practise effect and less random measurement error (superior test-retest reliability), it is recommended over the SDMT for assessing information processing speed in patients with stroke. Implications for Rehabilitation The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), a common measure of information processing speed, showed a substantial practise effect and considerable random measurement error in patients with stroke. The Tablet-based SDMT (T-SDMT) has been developed to reduce the practise effect and random measurement error of the SDMT in patients with stroke. The T-SDMT had smaller practise effect and random measurement error than the SDMT, which can provide more reliable assessments of information processing speed.
PURPOSE: To develop a Tablet-based Symbol Digit Modalities Test (T-SDMT) and to examine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the T-SDMT in patients with stroke. METHODS: The study had two phases. In the first phase, six experts, nine college students and five outpatients participated in the development and testing of the T-SDMT. In the second phase, 52 outpatients were evaluated twice (2 weeks apart) with the T-SDMT and SDMT to examine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the T-SDMT. RESULTS: The T-SDMT was developed via expert input and college student/patient feedback. Regarding test-retest reliability, the practise effects of the T-SDMT and SDMT were both trivial (d=0.12) but significant (p≦0.015). The improvement in the T-SDMT (4.7%) was smaller than that in the SDMT (5.6%). The minimal detectable changes (MDC%) of the T-SDMT and SDMT were 6.7 (22.8%) and 10.3 (32.8%), respectively. The T-SDMT and SDMT were highly correlated with each other at the two time points (Pearson's r=0.90-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The T-SDMT demonstrated good concurrent validity with the SDMT. Because the T-SDMT had a smaller practise effect and less random measurement error (superior test-retest reliability), it is recommended over the SDMT for assessing information processing speed in patients with stroke. Implications for Rehabilitation The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), a common measure of information processing speed, showed a substantial practise effect and considerable random measurement error in patients with stroke. The Tablet-based SDMT (T-SDMT) has been developed to reduce the practise effect and random measurement error of the SDMT in patients with stroke. The T-SDMT had smaller practise effect and random measurement error than the SDMT, which can provide more reliable assessments of information processing speed.
Entities:
Keywords:
Information processing speed; Symbol Digit Modalities Test; practise effect; random measurement error; stroke
Authors: Marie-Noëlle Klein; Ursina Jufer-Riedi; Sarah Rieder; Céline Hochstrasser; Michelle Steiner; Li Mei Cao; Anthony Feinstein; Sandra Bigi; Karen Lidzba Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2021-04-23