Rating Scale

Background and Purpose This study examined the interrater and intrarater reliability, concurrent validity, and criterion validity of the Tinetti Mobility Test (TMT) as a fall risk screening tool in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Subjects Thirty individuals with PD voluntarily participated in the study, and data from a retrospective review of 126 patient records were included. Methods Physical therapists and physical therapist students rated live and videotaped performances of the TMT. Tinetti Mobility Test scores were correlated with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scores and comfortable gait speed. The ability of the TMT to accurately assess fall risk was determined. Results Interrater and intrarater reliability was good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of >.80). Tinetti Mobility Test scores correlated with UPDRS motor scores (rs=−.45) and gait speed (rs=.53). The sensitivity and specificity of the TMT to identify fallers were...

The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical validities and efficiencies of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ARS) in identifying children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Korean community-based samples. A large sample of elementary school students (n = 1668) participated in this study. We used the CBCL and the ARS as the screening instruments. Diagnoses were determined by clinical psychiatric interviews and confirmed by DSM-IV-based structured interviews. Of the 46 subjects who underwent clinical psychiatric interviews, 33 were diagnosed as having ADHD. A T score of 60 with regard to the Attention Problems profile of the CBCL resulted in a reasonable level of sensitivity or positive predictive value in the diagnosis of ADHD. In both the parent and teacher reports of the ARS, 90th percentile cut-off points resulted in a high level of predictive value. The highest levels of specificity and positive predictive value were ...

Affective states, anxiety in particular, have been shown to negatively influence human postural control efficiency as measured by posturographic means, while exposure to a full-length mirror image of one's body exerts a stabilizing effect. We tested the hypothesis that body image concerns and preoccupations would relate negatively to this stabilising effect. Sixty-six healthy students, who screened negative for psychiatric disorders, completed rating scales for anxiety, depression and body image concerns. Posturography recordings of body sway were taken under three conditions: with eyes closed, looking at a vertical bar and looking at a full-length mirror. The Eyes Open/Mirror Stabilometric Quotient [EOMQ=(sway path with eyes closed/sway path looking at the mirror)x100], an index of how much postural control is stabilized by mirror feedback in comparison to the visual vertical bar condition, was significantly inversely related to body image concerns and preoccupations, and to trait anxiety. This finding confirms the impact of emotional factors on human postural control, which warrant further studies. If confirmed in clinical populations characterized by high levels of body image disturbances, e.g. eating disorders, it could lead to developments in the assessment and monitoring of these patients.

The SMAF (Functional Autonomy Measurement System) is a 29-item scale developed according to the WHO classification of disabilities.It measures functional ability in 5 areas: activities of daily living (ADL) [7 items], mobility [6 items], communication [3 items], mental functions [5 items] and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) [8 items]. For each item,the disability is scored on a 5-point scale:0 (independent), -0.5 (with difficulty), -1 (needs supervision), -2 (needs help), -3 (dependent). Resources available to compensate the disability are also evaluated, and a handicap score is deducted. Stability of the resources is also assessed. A disability score (on -87) can be calculated, together with sub-scores for each dimension. SMAF must be administered by a health professional (nurse or social worker) who scores the subject after obtaining the information, either by questioning the subject and proxies, or by observing and even testing the subject.This instrument was submi...

We evaluated the screening validity of a self-report measure for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the PTSD Checklist (PCL), in female Veterans Affairs (VA) patients. All women seen for care at the VA Puget Sound Health Care system from October 1996–January 1999 (n=2,545) were invited to participate in a research interview. Participants (n=282) completed the 17-item PCL, followed by a

ABSTRACT. Background. Neurofeedback is biofeedback training of EEG activity through an operant conditioning process by which the individual is trained to increase or inhibit the brain's production of electrical activity in specific frequency ranges. Studies have demonstrated efficacy with a variety of disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning problems, and autistic features. This paper describes the application of neurofeedback in a clinical setting with two complex children who manifested multiple diagnoses, including learning disabilities (LD), ADHD, social deficits, mood disorders, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Both boys had adjusted poorly to school, family, and peers. Methods. Subjects were referred to the author's clinical practice. They received individualized protocols based on their symptoms and functional impairments. They were administered semi-weekly 20-minute sessions of one-channel neurofeedback training for ...

Traditionally, the dried flower of Echium amoenum (Boraginaceae) has been used in Iran as an anxiolytic and mood enhancer. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of an aqueous extract of E. amoenum in treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder. Forty-four patients ...