Item Bank Research Articles

Does social isolation mediate the association between hearing loss and cognition in adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.

There has been extensive research on the relationship between hearing and cognitive impairment in older adults but little examination of the role of mediating factors. Social isolation is a potential mediator, occurring because of hearing loss, and contributing to accelerated cognitive decline. Previous systematic reviews on this topic area have not considered the temporal nature of hearing loss and cognitive impairment exclusively or examined potential mediators within a longitudinal study design. A systematic review was conducted. Electronic searches were performed in Web of Science, PubMed (Medline), Scopus, EMBASE, PsychInfo, and ProQuest (PsychArticles and ProQuest Dissertation and Theses) based on a search string of keywords relating to hearing loss, social isolation, and cognitive impairment/dementia in June 2023. Papers were critically appraised using the CASP checklists for cohort studies. Risk of bias in the selected studies was assessed using the Item Bank for Assessment of Risk of Bias and Precision for Observational Studies of Interventions or Exposures. Eleven of the 15 included studies provide evidence of a dose-dependent association between hearing threshold (40 dB HL or greater) and later cognitive impairment or incident dementia. Only one study included social isolation as a mediator, which was found to not be a significant contributing factor. The meta-analysis of 5 studies pooled hazard ratio for cognitive impairment due to hearing loss is 1.11 (95% CI: 1.06 to 1.15, p < 0.001). The pooled hazard ratio for incident dementia due to hearing loss was HR 1.21 (95% CI: 1.11 to 1.31, p = 0.002). The analysis of included studies indicate that hearing threshold level affects later cognitive status or dementia diagnosis. There is not enough evidence to determine the role of social isolation as a mediator. Future epidemiology studies need to measure different elements of social isolation and ensure that hearing and cognition are measured at multiple time points.

Translation and Cultural Adaptation into Arabic of Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System® Item Banks: Cognitive Function Abilities and Physical Function for Samples with Mobility Aid Users.

This study aimed to provide Arabic-speaking individuals with tools to assess their cognitive abilities and physical function and to contribute to a better understanding of these capabilities in this population. Thus, the specific objective was to translate into Arabic and culturally adapt two Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item banks: the Adult Cognitive Function Abilities and the Physical Function for Samples with Mobility Aid Users item banks. This study employed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) multilingual translation methodology to ensure cultural and linguistic relevance. The translation process included forward and back translations, expert reviews, and finalisation by a language coordinator. Cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with 30 native healthy Arabic speakers to assess the clarity and comprehension of translated items. Most items were well understood, but two items related to cognitive ability and four related to physical functions required revision to address participant confusion. The translations were refined based on the participants' feedback and expert recommendations. This study followed a rigorous translation process and included cognitive debriefing interviews to ensure linguistic and cultural equivalence. The availability of these tools in Arabic enhances cross-cultural research and practice in healthcare and contributes to a global understanding of cognitive and physical functions.

Nurturing Untapped Integration Expertise of MS4 Assessment Writers.

Creating original, integrated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) is time-consuming and onerous for basic science and clinical faculty. We demonstrate that medical students are co-experts to overcome assessment challenges of the faculty. We recruited, trained, and motivated medical students to write 10,000 high-quality MCQs for use in the foundational courses of medical education. These students were ideal because they possessed integrated knowledge (basic sciences and clinical experience). We taught them how to write high-quality MCQs using a writing template and continuous monitoring and support by an item bank curator. The students themselves also benefitted personally and pedagogically from the experience.

The first steps in the development of a cancer-specific patient-reported experience measure item bank (PREM-item bank): towards dynamic evaluation of experiences

ObjectiveSince the implementation of value-based healthcare, there has been a growing emphasis on utilizing patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) to enhance the quality of care. However, the current PREMs are primarily generic and static, whereas healthcare is constantly evolving and encompasses a wide variety of aspects that impact care quality. To continuously improve care requires a dynamic PREM. The aim of this study was to propose an item bank for the establishment of a dynamic and care-specific patient-reported evaluation.MethodsIn co-creation with patients, a mixed methods study was conducted involving: (1) an explorative review of the literature, (2) a focus group analysis with (ex-)patients, (3) qualitative analyses to formulate themes, and (4) a quantitative selection of items by patients and experts through prioritization.ResultsEight existing PREMs were evaluated. After removing duplicates, 141 items were identified. Through qualitative analyses of the focus group in which the patient journey was discussed, eight themes were formulated: “Organization of healthcare,” “Competence of healthcare professionals,” “Communication,” “Information & services,” “Patient empowerment,” “Continuity & informal care,” “Environment,” and “Technology.” Seven patients and eleven professionals were asked to prioritize what they considered the most important items. From this, an item bank with 76 items was proposed.ConclusionIn collaboration with patients and healthcare professionals, we have proposed a PREM-item bank to evaluate the experiences of patients’ receiving cancer care in an outpatient clinic. This item bank is the first step to dynamically assess the quality of cancer care provided in an outpatient setting.

New Dizziness Impact Measures of Positional, Functional, and Emotional Status Were Supported for Reliability, Validity, and Efficiency

ObjectiveTo calibrate the 25 items from the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) patient-reported outcome measure (PROM), using item response theory (IRT), into 1 or more item banks, and assess reliability, validity, and administration efficiency of scores derived from computerized adaptive test (CAT) or short form (SF) administration modes. DesignRetrospective cohort study. SettingOutpatient rehabilitation clinics. ParticipantsPatients (N=28,815; women=69%; mean age [SD]=60 [18]) included in a large national dataset and assessed for dizziness-related conditions who responded to all DHI items at intake. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresIRT model assumptions of unidimensionality, local item independence, item fit, and presence of differential item functioning (DIF) were evaluated. Generated scores were assessed for reliability, validity, and administration efficiency. ResultsPatients were treated in 976 clinics from 49 US states for either vestibular-, brain injury-, or neck-related impairments. Three unidimensional item banks were calibrated, creating 3 distinct PROMs for Dizziness Functional Status (DFS, 13 items), Dizziness Positional Status (DPS, 4 items), and Dizziness Emotional Status (DES, 6 items). Two items did not fit into any domain. A DFS-CAT and a DFS 7-item SF were developed. Except for 2 items by age groups and 1 item by main impairment, no items were flagged for DIF; DIF impact was negligible. Median reliability estimates were 0.91, 0.72, and 0.79 for the DFS, DPS, and DES, respectively. Scores discriminated between patient groups in clinically logical ways and had a large effect size (>0.8), with acceptable floor and ceiling effects (<15%), except for a floor effect for DPS (20.4%). DFS-CAT scores were generated using a median of 8 items; they correlated highly with full-bank scores (r=0.99). ConclusionThe 3 dizziness impact PROMs demonstrated moderate to high reliability, were valid, and highly responsive to change; thus, they are suitable for research and routine clinical administration.

Measuring Green Practices in Sport: Development and Validation of a Scale

Environmental sustainability has often been associated with increased organizational profitability, efficiency, and competitiveness. A related example is green practices which have become a central component of many companies’ marketing strategies and day-to-day management. The current study aims to develop and validate a scale for use in sport organizations and activities. An item bank derived from past literature was prepared, which was then assessed by a group of experts and pilot-tested. Two waves of data collection were then collected (N = 1165 and N = 567). An exploratory factor analysis was performed with the data from wave 1, and a one-dimensional solution was presented. Then, a confirmatory factor analysis followed by a multigroup analysis was performed with the data from wave 2. The results confirmed the six-item one-dimensional scale with high levels of reliability and validity and optimal fit indices. The scale is important to green practices adopted by sport organizations regarding the customer–organization relationship.

Development of the PROMIS pediatric stigma and extension to the PROMIS pediatric stigma: skin item banks.

To develop the PROMIS Pediatric Stigma (PPS) and Skin (PPS-Skin) by constructing a common metric for measuring stigma in children with various conditions, while capturing the unique features of each condition. Data from 860 children, ages 8-17, with a diagnosis of epilepsy, pNF (neurofibromatosis type 1 associated neurofibroma plexform), MD (muscular dystrophy), cancer, or skin conditions recruited from three projects were analyzed. Children with epilepsy, pNF and MD (sample-1) completed the original 18-item Neuro-QoL Stigma, while children with cancer and skin conditions (e.g., atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and genetic skin disorders; sample-2) completed a 16-item version and 6 additional skin related items. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory analysis (CFA) were used to evaluate unidimensionality of 24 stigma items. Differential item functioning (DIF) was used to evaluate measurement equivalence on group, gender, age, and conditions. Item response theory model (IRT) was used to construct the final measure. Sufficient unidimensionality was supported by both EFA and CFA. No items showed significant DIF indicating stable measurement properties across groups of comparison. All items fit the IRT model and were able to be calibrated together to form the PPS which consists of 18 core items. The PPS-Skin (18 cores items + 6 skin items) was developed by calibrating 6 skin items onto the common metric as the PPS. We used IRT techniques to successfully develop the PPS and the PPS-Skin, which share a common metric and account for unique and common concerns related to chronic conditions.

CONSTRUÇÃO E VALIDAÇÃO DE UM BANCO DE ITENS SOBRE AUTOMEDICAÇÃO DE RISCO

ABSTRACT Objective: to construct an item bank to measure risk self-medication and assess its content validity. Method: this is a methodological study carried out from May to October 2022, with two phases: 1) item bank elaboration in the light of medication literacy and Theory of Planned Behavior based on a scoping review; and 2) content validity by twenty-two health experts. The Content Validity Index, Content Validity Ratio, binomial exact test for small samples and intraclass correlation coefficient were calculated. Results: Risk Self-Medication construct item elaboration was based on a broad review of solidified national and international publications in the health area. The definitions were approved by judges, with their respective domains. In the first version, the bank contained 136 items. Two rounds of analysis were carried out with judges, which resulted in the removal of 87 items. The final version presented 49 items, distributed across three domains: Medication literacy; Behavioral intention; and Behavior. The total Content Validity Index was 0.89, with excellent reliability (0.964). There was significant disagreement in the attribution of scores among judges (p&gt;0.05) in some items. Conclusion: the item bank has satisfactory content. It is recommended to undergo semantic analysis and subsequent structure validity.

Measuring students’ conceptual understanding of real functions: A Rasch model analysis

Understanding the concepts related to real function is essential in learning mathematics. To determine how students understand these concepts, it is necessary to have an appropriate measurement tool. In this paper, we have created a web application using 32 items from conceptual understanding of real functions (CURF) item bank. We conducted a psychometric analysis using Rasch model on 207 first-year students. The analysis showed that CURF is a dependable and valid instrument for measuring students’ CURF. The test is uni-dimensional; all items are consistent with the construct and have excellent item fit statistics. The results indicate that the items are independent of each other and unbiased towards the gender and high school background of the students.

Promises and Pitfalls: Using Large Language Models to Generate Visualization Items.

Visualization items-factual questions about visualizations that ask viewers to accomplish visualization tasks-are regularly used in the field of information visualization as educational and evaluative materials. For example, researchers of visualization literacy require large, diverse banks of items to conduct studies where the same skill is measured repeatedly on the same participants. Yet, generating a large number of high-quality, diverse items requires significant time and expertise. To address the critical need for a large number of diverse visualization items in education and research, this paper investigates the potential for large language models (LLMs) to automate the generation of multiple-choice visualization items. Through an iterative design process, we develop the VILA (Visualization Items Generated by Large LAnguage Models) pipeline, for efficiently generating visualization items that measure people's ability to accomplish visualization tasks. We use the VILA pipeline to generate 1,404 candidate items across 12 chart types and 13 visualization tasks. In collaboration with 11 visualization experts, we develop an evaluation rulebook which we then use to rate the quality of all candidate items. The result is the VILA bank of ∼1,100 items. From this evaluation, we also identify and classify current limitations of the VILA pipeline, and discuss the role of human oversight in ensuring quality. In addition, we demonstrate an application of our work by creating a visualization literacy test, VILA-VLAT, which measures people's ability to complete a diverse set of tasks on various types of visualizations; comparing it to the existing VLAT, VILA-VLAT shows moderate to high convergent validity (R = 0.70). Lastly, we discuss the application areas of the VILA pipeline and the VILA bank and provide practical recommendations for their use. All supplemental materials are available at https://osf.io/ysrhq/.

Proposing A Protocol Schemata for Developing Web-Based Question Item Bank for Summative Assessment

Introduction: This study aims to propose a protocol schemata for developing a web-based question item bank (QIB). It can be developed by educational experts in collaboration with assessment experts. These protocol schemata propose all the security and safety features required for developing QIB. Methodology: The prevailing procedures for paper setting at educational boards in Pakistan and their need to establish QIB were studied. Available web-based QIBs and their features were also studied. The knowledge gained was utilized for research and development for proposing some protocol schemata for developing a secure and comprehensive web-based QIB. Results/Findings: The studies of prevailing procedures for paper setting and features of available QIB software led the researchers to propose a protocol schemata essential for establishing QIB for examining bodies. They need to ensure security measures and propriety rights to save their QIBs from hacking. Future Direction: The proposed schemata can be helpful in establishing a web-based QIB software having multiple types of question items developed as per Bloom’s Taxonomy cognitive and difficulty levels. It may be multilingual, and mathematical equations and scientific notation supported. It can ensure security from hacking when kept offline after development.

Mental Fatigue in Parkinson's Disease: Systematic Review and Evaluation of Self-Reported Fatigue Scales.

Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom affecting a significant proportion of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), often overshadowing even motor symptoms in its impact on quality of life. The accurate definition and assessment of mental fatigue in PD is crucial for both clinical management and research, yet it remains a challenge due to the subjective nature of the symptom and the heterogeneity of assessment scales. This systematic review examined the existing measures of self-reported mental fatigue in PD by searching through PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases using specific keywords from 2001 to 2024. Out of the 4182 articles found, 40 met the inclusion criteria, and 14 different scales were identified to measure self-reported fatigue in PD patients. However, most of these scales lack a consistent definition of fatigue, indicating a need for validated combinations of unidimensional and multidimensional scales to accurately assess mental fatigue in PD. The review found that it is best to use Fatigue Severity Inventory (FSI) and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MdFI) to screen for severity of PD mental fatigue and Neuro-QoL Item Bank v1.0 (Neuro-QoL) to evaluate its impact on patients' lives. Furthermore, multidimensional scales Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ) and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue Scale (FACIT-F) are frequently coupled with Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Parkinson's Fatigue Scale (PFS), and/or Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) due to their short length and holistic coverage of variables in patients' quality of life. Combining fatigue scales can be used for screening and scoring methods. The review also recommends validating fatigue scales translation and combining them with biomarkers to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of fatigue assessment in clinical practice. Future research should analyze correlations between fatigue scales, expand language types, and explore the link between fatigue scales and the pathophysiological basis of PD. Our findings underscore the need for a standardized approach to the measurement of fatigue in PD and set the stage for future research to consolidate assessment tools that can reliably guide treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.

The Relationship of the PROMIS® Pediatric Physical Activity Measure with Cardiorespiratory Fitness.

A The PROMIS® Pediatric Physical Activity (PA) measure is a new instrument with established validity that measures a child self-report on short bouts of moderate to rigorous physical activity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of the PROMIS® Pediatric PA item bank with cardiorespiratory fitness and self-efficacy. The study was conducted at the Minnesota State Fair. Youth ages 8 to 18 years completed the PROMIS® Pediatric PA and the Self-Efficacy for PA measures on an iPad. Participants performed 3-min step test with heart rates measured 1 min posttest. Participants (N = 182) were 53% female. The PROMIS® Pediatric PA had a weak, significant negative correlation with the step test measurement (r = -0.23, p = 0.001) and a weak, significant positive correlation with self-efficacy (r = 0.27, p < 0.001). Measurements did not differ between groups by sex or age group (school-age and adolescent). Youth who were obese had significantly higher heart rates post step test (p = 0.004); BMI percentile groups did not differ in other measures. Self-report of PA and the physiologic measure of heart rate are from two related but different physical fitness domains which supports their significant but weak relationship.

An Efficient Non-parametric Item Selection Method for Polytomous Scoring CD-CAT

In educational evaluations at home and abroad, polytomous scoring items are becoming increasingly important. They can provide richer and more valuable information, with unmatched advantages compared to binary (0-1 scoring) items. If used as a tool for teachers to diagnose and assess students in the classroom, CD-CAT (Cognitive Diagnostic Computerized Adaptive Testing) has significant implications for improving teaching effectiveness. However, in classroom teaching situations, it is not feasible to estimate item parameters accurately with a large sample, as in large-scale assessments. In such cases, non-parametric CD-CAT becomes the only viable option. Compared to parametric CD-CAT, non-parametric CD-CAT started later and is particularly lacking in research related to polytomous scoring. Item selection method is at the core of CD-CAT, so it is essential to develop a non-parametric item selection method suitable for polytomous scoring CD-CAT. This study proposes a non-parametric item selection method for polytomous scoring cognitive diagnostic computerized adaptive testing (PCD-CAT): the Manhattan Distance Non-parametric Difference index item selection method (MD-NDI). The results of simulation studies indicate: (1) MD-NDI item selection method is suitable for PCD-CAT scenarios and exhibits better performance when the item bank quality is poor or the sample size for estimating item parameters is limited. (2) MD-NDI does not require pre-testing of items and distributes item usage more evenly, effectively ensuring the security of the item bank. (3) Even in cases of incorrectly specified item bank of Qc-matrix, MD-NDI still shows higher pattern correct classification rates. (4) In the study of variable-length PCD-CAT, MD-NDI not only reduces the test length in most conditions but also has a higher pattern correct classification rates when reaching the test termination rule.

Evaluation and modification of the 10‐item short form Communicative Participation Item Bank for persons with primary progressive aphasia

AbstractBackgroundPrimary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a dementia syndrome characterized by language and communication impairments with relative sparing of other cognitive domains. Given the language difficulties associated with PPA, it is important to develop outcome measures relevant to the communication experiences of persons with PPA (PwPPA). The 10‐item Communicative Participation Item Bank (CPIB) has been used as a measure of communication participation in PPA. However, the CPIB was validated as a disorder‐agnostic measure of communication participation and the content validity has not been evaluated for PPA. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the face and content validity of the 10‐item CPIB for individuals with PPA and their communication partners (CP).MethodPhase one of this project focused on conducting cognitive interviews with participants who had previously completed the CPIB during the Communication Bridge randomized controlled trial (NCT03371706). PwPPAs and CPs each completed the CPIB during a semi‐structured cognitive interview designed to evaluate the measure format, instructions, response options, item comprehension, and relevance of each item to PwPPA experiences. To evaluate content validity, participants were asked open‐ended questions to elicit relevant communication participation experiences missing from the questionnaire. Responses to closed‐ended questions (e.g., clarity, relevance) were tabulated and open‐ended responses (e.g., item comprehension, missing content) were analyzed via thematic analysis. Summaries of measure format, instructions, and response options were generated, as well as item‐level findings regarding comprehension, relevance, and missing content.ResultPreliminary findings revealed both PwPPAs and CPs: a) considered the instructions to be clear (N = 12, 100%); b) recommended adding a fifth response option (e.g., “Somewhat) to better represent the range of communication situations; c) reported all items except one (“persuade…to see a different point of view”) were relevant (N≥10; ≥83%, for 9 items); and d) talking on the phone was the most reported missing communicative participation situation (N = 8; 66%). Further, 2 of 5 PwPPAs reported talking over videochat, and 2 of 5 CPs reported email/texting as missing.ConclusionPreliminary findings indicate that modifications to the 10‐item CPIB short form may be needed for use with PwPPA and their CPs to more fulsomely capture communication participation in PPA.

Common measures or common metrics? the value of IRT-based common metrics

There is a clear need to harmonize outcome measurement. Some authors propose to express scores as T scores to facilitate interpretation of PROM results in clinical practice. While this is a step in the right direction, there are important limitations to the acceptance of the T score metric as a common metric when T scores are based on raw sum scores of ordinal items: Such T scores of different instruments are not exactly comparable because they are not interval scaled; T scores of different measures are only on the same scale if exactly the same reference group is used; and the T sore metric cannot be maintained because it is reference population-dependent and needs to be updated regularly. These limitations can be overcome by using an item response theory (IRT)-based metric. Items from different measures can be placed on the same IRT metric to make scores comparable on an interval scale. The PROMIS initiative used IRT to develop item banks for measuring various health outcomes. Other PROMs have been linked to the PROMIS metric. Although PROMIS uses a T-score metric for practical reasons, the underlying PROMIS metric is actually an IRT metric. An IRT approach also enables further development of an item bank while preserving the underlying metric. Therefore, IRT-based metrics should be considered as common metrics for the future.

Constructing country-specific quality-of-life item banks for adults with amblyopia and strabismus in Australia and India

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance Understanding the quality-of-life (QoL) impacts of amblyopia and strabismus from the perspectives of patients using validated tools would enable eye care practitioners to provide better clinical management. Background Item banks are advanced patient reported outcome measures with several advantages over traditional QoL assessment. This paper describes the development of amblyopia and strabismus-specific QoL item banks for two distinct country settings: Australia (high-income) and India (low-middle income) and examines the unique QoL issues. Methods Using a bottom-up systematic approach, the content for the item banks was identified from three sources: existing self-report amblyopia and strabismus questionnaires (n = 22), qualitative literature (n = 5) and prospective qualitative studies in Australia (n = 49) and India (n = 30). The initial item pool underwent item evaluation, construction, and pre-testing to form optimal sets of representative items. The Indian item pools were first developed in English and translated into Hindi and Tamil using a rigorous translation protocol. The differences in QoL experiences that emanated from the qualitative studies and the number of common and unique items in the final item pools were compared. Results The final Australian and Indian item pools comprised 312 and 277 items, respectively, covering 11 QoL domains. Two hundred and sixty items (79%) were common to both countries, and 21% were unique. Of the 11 domains, except for activity limitation (64.5%), visual symptoms (73.3%) and emotional impact (75.5%) domains, all other domains had over 80% of items common to both countries. The unique items can be attributed to differences in QoL experiences, individual perspectives, culture, lifestyle, country setting and health systems. Conclusion Amblyopia has a multifaceted impact on QoL irrespective of the country settings. Despite a huge overlap in QoL impacts between Australia and India, both countries had unique issues, especially activity limitations. The study developed comprehensive, country-specific item pools for Australia and India.

MODIFYING WORDS IN VOCABULARY BANKS: AN ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY TO INCREASE THE STUDENTS’ VERBAL INTELLIGENCE

This research aimed to determine the improvement in students’ verbal intelligence resulting from improved the quantity and quality of vocabulary. The study undertook correlation analysis to identify the relationships between research variables, i.e., vocabulary bank and quantity of vocabulary items; the quantity of vocabulary items and quality of vocabulary understanding; quality of vocabulary understanding, and verbal intelligence. The research was undertaken in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) Al-Islam Balesari, located in Balesari Village, Windusari District, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia. The research sample comprised 50% of all students in the fourth grade and included 9 out of 37 students. The data collection technique in this study was the observation of the correlation between teachers and fourth-grade students at MI Al-Islam Balesari. The data analysis technique used was the Pearson correlation test. The results showed that the vocabulary bank strategy improved students' verbal intelligence. This impacts increased interest and motivation among the students concerning, students' speed in understanding the matters learned, the quality of the reconstruction of aspects studied to be reiterated both written and oral, and improved quantity and quality of students' vocabulary comprehension. Students find it easy to understand the lesson because the information conveyed uses language media that they can understand.

Development and psychometric evaluation of item banks for memory and attention – supplements to the EORTC CAT Core instrument

BackgroundCancer patients may experience a decrease in cognitive functioning before, during and after cancer treatment. So far, the Quality of Life Group of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLG) developed an item bank to assess self-reported memory and attention within a single, cognitive functioning scale (CF) using computerized adaptive testing (EORTC CAT Core CF item bank). However, the distinction between different cognitive functions might be important to assess the patients’ functional status appropriately and to determine treatment impact. To allow for such assessment, the aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate separate item banks for memory and attention based on the EORTC CAT Core CF item bank.MethodsIn a multistep process including an expert-based content analysis, we assigned 44 items from the EORTC CAT Core CF item bank to the memory or attention domain. Then, we conducted psychometric analyses based on a sample used within the development of the EORTC CAT Core CF item bank. The sample consisted of 1030 cancer patients from Denmark, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom. We evaluated measurement properties of the newly developed item banks using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory model calibration.ResultsItem assignment resulted in 31 memory and 13 attention items. Conducted CFAs suggested good fit to a 1-factor model for each domain and no violations of monotonicity or indications of differential item functioning. Evaluation of CATs for both memory and attention confirmed well-functioning item banks with increased power/reduced sample size requirements (for CATs ≥ 4 items and up to 40% reduction in sample size requirements in comparison to non-CAT format).ConclusionTwo well-functioning and psychometrically robust item banks for memory and attention were formed from the existing EORTC CAT Core CF item bank. These findings could support further research on self-reported cognitive functioning in cancer patients in clinical trials as well as for real-word-evidence. A more precise assessment of attention and memory deficits in cancer patients will strengthen the evidence on the effects of cancer treatment for different cancer entities, and therefore contribute to shared and informed clinical decision-making.

Bridging the Gap: Association between Objective and Subjective Outcomes of Communication Performance in People with Parkinson's Disease Evaluated for Deep Brain Stimulation.

Decrements in verbal fluency following deep brain stimulation (DBS) in people with Parkinson's disease (PwP) are common. As such, verbal fluency tasks are used in assessing DBS candidacy and target selection. However, the correspondence between testing performance and the patient's perception of communication abilities is not well-established. The Communication Participation Item Bank (CPIB) was administered to 85 PwP during pre-DBS neuropsychological evaluations. Central tendencies for CPIB responses and correlations between CPIB total scores, clinical and demographic factors, and language-based tasks were examined. Most PwP indicated some degree of communication interference on the CPIB. Worse scores on semantic fluency and greater motor impairment were associated with more communication interference. Our findings suggest an incomplete correspondence between commonly used language-based tests and patient-reported outcomes of communication abilities. The need for a functional communication instrument that reflects the different aspects of communication abilities in functional contexts is emphasized.