Psychometric Assessment Research Articles

Psychometric performance assessment of the Arabic version of the pregnancy experience scale–brief version (PES–brief) in an Arabic-speaking population

ObjectiveAlthough tools exist to assess psychological distress during pregnancy, a scarcity of instruments are designed to measure maternal perceptions of the more positive, uplifting features of pregnancy in addition to the more negative, hassling aspects. To address this shortcoming, DiPietro et al. developed the Pregnancy Experience Scale–Brief (PES-Brief). We aimed to assess the reliability and psychometric performance of an Arabic translation of the PES–Brief among Lebanese pregnant women. MethodsThe PES-Brief, the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Lebanese Anxiety Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were administered to 433 participants. PES-Brief scores were computed as frequency and intensity, with Hassles to Uplifts frequency and intensity ratios. ResultsThe PES–Brief was internally consistent, with McDonald's ω = 0.87 for Uplifts and 0.81 for Hassles. Higher PES-Uplifts scores were significantly associated with lower depression and anxiety scores, and higher perceived social support; whereas higher PES-Hassles scores showed inverse correlations. The Hassles to Uplifts frequency and intensity ratios were 0.864 and 0.836, respectively, indicating that pregnant women were more uplifted than hassled. The CFA results confirmed the two-factor structure of the scale. ConclusionOur findings suggest that the Arabic PES–Brief is a psychometrically valid and reliable scale that may be employed as a legitimate indicator of pregnancy-specific uplifts and hassles among Arabic-speaking populations. Our study prompts clinicians and researchers to benefit from this tool for capturing the integral psychological/emotional experience of women during pregnancy, which may facilitate pregnant women's support when needed.

Exploring the clinical characteristics and etiological factors of comorbid major depressive disorder and social anxiety disorder.

The comorbidity between the major depressive disorder (MDD) and the social anxiety disorder (SAD) is significantly prevalent, necessitating a nuanced understanding of their overlapping clinical characteristics and shared etiological factors, including inflammatory biomarkers. To address this, we conducted a cross-sectional study from December 2021 to June 2022, encompassing 204 outpatients diagnosed with MDD-SAD comorbidity. We employed various psychometric assessments, such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Additionally, we analyzed inflammatory biomarkers including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte platelet ratio (NLPR), systemic inflammation index (SII), and the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI). Our findings accentuated that patients primarily diagnosed with MDD exhibited elevated levels of certain inflammatory biomarkers. They reported more severe and atypical depressive symptoms (75.7% vs 58.5%; P = 0.010) and had significantly higher CTQ-28 subscale scores (P < 0.05). Our study unveils a complex relationship between MDD and SAD, with significant disparities in the symptom severity and inflammatory biomarker levels, thereby establishing a compelling case for dual-diagnosis treatment approaches. It elucidates the critical role of inflammation in the comorbidity of MDD and SAD, marking a pioneering step towards more comprehensive and holistic patient care strategies. These insights could potentially revolutionize therapeutic approaches in psychiatric care, promising significantly improved outcomes through early detection and integrated intervention strategies.

Psychometric Assessment of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) using the Rasch Model in a Malaysian Polytechnic Students’ Sample

The study investigated the psychometric assessment of grit questions in the setting of a technical student using the Rasch model. Random sampling techniques were chosen among 468 polytechnic students. The results showed eight Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) items met the requirements of the Rasch model. These items can measure grit for technical students’ context, but there is ample room for further progress in determining the quality of grit items’ development in different settings. In a nutshell, Grit-S needs to generate more items to cater to people with higher abilities so that they can tested with more complex items.

Development and Psychometric Assessment of the Dyslexia Awareness Instrument in Teachers

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Teachers may not be very sure about the definition of dyslexia and generally struggle to tell the difference between dyslexic learners and slow learners. Developing the DyAwI may provide an important psychometric assessment tool in determining the awareness level of the teacher and being able to make this distinction. A descriptive, explorative design was used in this study. The study consisted of two main phases. In the first phase, in order to develop the instrument, a literature review and a pilot study on 20 primary school teachers were carried out, and in line with expert opinions, the content validity index was calculated. In the second stage, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to identify the construct validity and reliability. The study included 182 primary school teachers for the second stage. The KMO and Bartlett test values, which determine the suitability of DyAwI for factor analysis, were found to be 0.77 and 0.000, respectively. The overall Cronbach’s alpha value of DyAwI was .75. As a result of the assessment of its construct validity, the scale consisted of 2 factors and 14 items. The findings of the study show that the tool is reliable and sufficient. The instrument is easy to understand, and this tool can determine the dyslexia awareness levels of teachers. DyAwI could promote teachers’ awareness of dyslexia and support the early identification of primary school students with dyslexia. It is believed that, thanks to the data obtained from the instrument, teachers will be able to decide on an educational assessment of a student with reading difficulties more quickly.

Psychometric assessment of the 10-item, revised experience of close relationship (ECR-R-10) in nonclinical and clinical populations of adults and older adults in Thailand

The experiences of close relationships-revised (ECR-R) is a widely used 36-item self-report measurement for measuring adult attachment. However, various short versions of the ECR-R have been developed and tested psychometrically. Given the cultural impact, a short version of the Thai ECR-R should be derived from the existing Thai version of the ECR-R. This study aimed to develop a 10-item version of the ECR-R that demonstrates comparable psychometric properties to the previous Thai version and the 18-item ECR-R. This study included four studies with a total of 1,322 participants. In study 1, 434 adults in a nonclinical setting were used for the development of the 10-item Thai ECR-R and tested in an independent sample. Studies 2, 3, and 4 were conducted on 312 adults in the clinical setting, 227 older adults in the nonclinical, and 123 older adults in clinical settings. The Cronbach alphas and corrected correlations between the ECR-R-18 and the ECR-R-10 in each study were calculated. Confirmatory factor analysis of the first-order two-factor solution model with fit statistics was examined with each sample. Correlations of the ECR-R-18 and the ECR-R-10 with other measurements were presented and compared. Known-group validity and measurement invariance test were also examined. The Cronbach alphas of the ECR-R-10 among all samples were acceptable, ranging between .77 and .85 for avoidance subscales and between .82 and .86 for anxiety subscales. The corrected correlation between the ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10 was between .61 (p < .001) and .82 (p < .001). The values of the comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index for the model of ECR-R-10 were between .903 and .985, whereas the root-mean-square error of approximation was between .082 and .036, indicating that the model fits were acceptable. The ECR-R-10 was related to the measurements with a similar construct; however, no difference in the magnitude of correlation was observed between ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10. Known group validity was established. Measurement invariance was successfully established across different age and gender groups, although it was only partially achieved with respect to clinical status. The ECR-R-10 provided equal or superior psychometric properties to the ECR-R-18 across age groups and settings. As it is a briefer scale, the ECR-R-10 can be practically used in general and clinical samples to reduce the burden of assessment, especially with older adults. Further investigation is needed to test the scale's temporal stability.

Amsterdam complex pelvic pain symptom scale with subscales: Based on a Norwegian translation, psychometric assessment and modification of the Amsterdam hyperactive pelvic floor scale.

Women with an abnormally high pelvic floor muscle tone may have a clinical presentation that is complex, involving urinary, anorectal and/or sexual dysfunction, genital/pelvic pain and psychological distress. The Amsterdam Hyperactive Pelvic Floor Scale (AHPFS) is a Dutch 30-item condition-specific self-report questionnaire developed to measure these complex pelvic pain symptoms. The aim of this study was to translate the Dutch version into Norwegian, to assess the psychometric properties, and to present a valid factor structure. Translation, back-translation and a review of the back-translated version were performed. Thereafter, a pilot test including feedback from six clinical experts and cognitive interviews with 11 patients from the target group was conducted. Next, a field test was performed among women who were (1) patients at the gynecological outpatient clinic/pelvic floor physiotherapist at St. Olav's Hospital, (2) members of the Vulvodynia or the Endometriosis Patient Associations or (3) female students and employees from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in a web-based survey. To ensure a sample with symptomatic women, only women who scored ≥11 according to the Dutch prespecified factor structure were included in the statistical analyses (n = 232). Content/face validity demonstrated that the questionnaire was perceived as relevant, comprehensive and understandable. Some adjustments in the instructions of the questionnaire and the response categories were made, which lead to the Norwegian translation ACPPS-30. Assessment of the questionnaire's dimensionality revealed a five-factor structure similar to the original Dutch Amsterdam Hyperactive Pelvic Floor Scale (AHPFS) but without the Urinary tract infection factor and seven other items. The translated and modified ACPPS-16 total score and subscales correlated as expected with scales measuring similar conditions. Test-retest reliability demonstrated good stability for scales (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.85-0.93) and single items (weighted kappa values from 0.34 to 0.90). A modified Norwegian version ACPPS-30 was presented, in addition to a shorter version with only 16 of the translated items distributed among five factors similar to the original Dutch version (ACPPS-16). Both versions proved to be valid, stable and reliable tools to investigate complex pelvic pain symptoms possibly due to an abnormally high-toned pelvic floor muscle.

Retraction: Psychometric assessment of the Persian translation of the interpersonal mindfulness scale with undergraduate students.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.866816.].

Psychometric Assessment of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form in Athletes: A Bifactor Modeling Approach

Aim: A recent mental health in sport consensus statement advocates Keyes’ two continua model with an associated Mental Health Continuum (MHC) instrument to assess mental health in athletes. However, there remains statistically inconsistent usage of the MHC in athletes, so further exploration of the MHC’s psychometric factors is required. Methods: Athletes (N = 1,097) aged 32.63 (SD = 11.16) comprising 603 females (55.7%) and 478 males (44.3%), completed the 14-item MHC-Short Form, alongside validated measures of anxiety and depression. Five confirmatory factor analytic and bifactor models were developed based on extant research and theory. Results: Overall, a bifactor structure with a “general” positive mental health factor, and three specific factors (“hedonic well-being,” “social well-being,” and “psychological well-being”) fitted the data well and was deemed the superior model. Conclusion: A bifactor model of the MHC-Short Form is recommended comprising a composite score alongside specific factors of hedonic, social, and psychological well-being.

Electrophysiological Changes in Patients with Pediatric Mental Disorders

Background Electroencephalography (EEG) measures represent an important data source for a new quantitative science of macroscopic and microscopic cortical brain dynamics. Objective To record the central neuro- electrophysiological pattern in children with different types of pediatric mental disorders. Methods In this cross-sectional observational study, 100 children with different types of pediatric mental disorders [Autism (n = 30), ADHD (n = 30) and nocturnal enuresis (n = 40)] were evaluated from those under regular follow up at the Child Psychiatry Clinic, Children’s hospital, Ain Shams University. Full history, detailed psychiatric interview, psychometric assessment using specific scales according to the disorder, IQ assessment, EEG and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria for definitive diagnose of each disorder were assessed. Results The enrolled children age ranged between 5-16 years with a mean value of 9.09 ±2.49 years, and 74 were males. Eleven children had history of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission.IQ ranged from 27 to 101 with a mean value of 78.92 ± 16.29 SD. Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) for children with Autism ranged from 30 to 47 with a mean value of 35.53 ± 3.42 SD. The Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale for children with ADHD ranged from 61 to 78 with a mean value of 68.63 ± 4.66 SD. Only 5 children had epileptogenic activity in the EEG [autism (n = 3), ADHD(n = 1), nocturnal enuresis(n = 1)] with a (P-value= 0.362). In addition, history of NICU admission showed association with subsequent development of pediatric mental disorders (P-value =0.015). Furthermore, developmental history had association with pediatric mental disorder (Pvalue =0.00). Conclusion We observed a non-significant association between EEG changes and pediatric mental disorders. However, this study showed a significant association between NICU admission and subsequent development of pediatric mental disorders.

Development and validation of a universal esophageal patient-reported outcome measure: The Cleveland Clinic Esophageal Questionnaire (CEQ)

ObjectiveCurrently, there is no validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) applicable to all esophageal diseases. Our objective was to create a psychometrically robust, validated universal esophageal PROM that can also objectively assess patients’ quality of life (QoL). MethodsThe pilot PROM constructed based on expert opinions, literature review, and previous unpublished institutional research had 27 items covering 8 domains. It was completed by 30 patients in the outpatient clinic followed by a structured debriefing interview, which allowed for refining the PROM. The final PROM: Cleveland Clinic Esophageal Questionnaire (CEQ) included 34 items across 6 domains (Dysphagia, Eating, Pain, Reflux & Regurgitation, Dyspepsia, Dumping), each accompanied by a corresponding QoL component. Further psychometric assessment of the PROM was conducted by evaluating (1) acceptability, (2) construct validity, (3) reliability, and (4) responsiveness. ResultsFive hundred forty-six unique patients (median 63.7 years [54.3-71.7], 53% male [287], 86% White) completed CEQ at >90% completion within 5 minutes. Construct validity was demonstrated by differentiating scores across esophageal cancer (n = 146), achalasia (n = 170), hiatal hernia (n = 160), and other diagnoses (n = 70). Internal reliability (Cronbach alpha 0.83-0.89), and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.63-0.85) were strong. Responsiveness was demonstrated through CEQ domains improving for 53 patients who underwent surgery for achalasia or hiatal hernia (Cohen d 0.86-2.59). ConclusionsWe have constructed a psychometrically robust, universal esophageal PROM that allows concise, consistent, objective quantification of symptoms and their effect on the patient. The CEQ is valuable in prognostication and tracking of longitudinal outcomes in both benign and malignant esophageal diseases.

Questioning What We Thought We Knew: Commentary on Leonhard's Performance Validity Assessment Articles.

Neuropsychologists have long understood that valid examinee performance is needed in order to understand the constructs of interest that are at the heart of clinical and forensic evaluations. The assessment of performance validity has evolved over time, from very rudimentary and subjective clinical impressions of examinee task engagement to psychometrically based, multi-method, algorithm-driven, and consensus-informed approaches. Christoph Leonhard has further advanced that evolution in a meaningful way, forcing us to reconsider much of what we thought we knew about the psychometric assessment of performance validity. Although a structured, systematic, and objective approach to validity assessment is necessary, Leonhard has brought to our attention some significant concerns that need to be addressed. This commentary describes professional, ethical, and legal implications of Leonhard's articles. Through an ongoing process of examining, revising, and improving our methods and procedures, we will be better positioned to provide services of value to those we serve. Leonhard has provided an opportunity for us to do just that.

Psychometric Assessment of the Physicians' Job Demands and Resources Scale.

Job demands and resources have been consistently associated with the burnout syndrome in physicians, however the literature points to a lack of robust measures to assess these job characteristics across various medical specialties. This study aimed to develop a theoretically and empirically grounded physician-specific job demands and resources self-report measure - the Physicians' Job Demands and Resources Scale. Relevant dimensions of physicians' job demands and resources were identified, corresponding measurement items were generated and pre-tested, and the factor structure of the resulting 44 items was tested with a sample of 9,176 Portuguese physicians. The results of EFAs and CFAs with two random split samples provided consistent evidence of a nine-factor structure with 38 of the 44 items. Importantly, the nine-factor structure is consistent with the dimensions identified in the literature. The paper discusses the theoretical and practical impacts of the scale.

An investigation of neuromelanin distribution in substantia nigra and locus coeruleus in patients with Parkinson’s disease using neuromelanin-sensitive MRI

Loss of neuromelanin in the midbrain is known in Parkinson’s disease(PD), which can now be directly detected by neuromelanin-sensitive MRI(NM-MRI). This case-control study was to investigate the distribution of neuromelanin in the substantia nigra(SN) and the locus coeruleus(LC) using NM-MRI technique and evaluate its potential as a diagnostic marker for PD. 10 early PD patients(H&Y stage I, II), 11 progressive PD patients(H&Y stage III-V), and 10 healthy controls matched in age and gender were recruited. All participants completed clinical and psychometric assessments as well as NM-MRI scans. Neuromelanin signal intensities in SN and LC were measured by contrast-to-noise ratios(CNRs) derived from NM-MRI scans. There were significant decreases of CNRs in SNpc(including anterior, central, and posterior) and LC in PD patients compared to controls. There were also significant differences of CNR between the left and right sides. CNR in LC had a negative correlation with the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale(NMSS) score in PD patients(|R|=0.49), whereas CNR in SNpc did not correlate with Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) score(|R|<0.3). The receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves revealed that the CNR in LC had a high diagnostic specificity of 90.1% in progressive patients. This study provides new evidence for the asymmetric distribution of neuromelanin in SN and the LC of patients with PD. The neuromelanin loss is bilateral and more predominately in LC than that in SN. This distinct neuromelanin distribution pattern may offer a potential diagnostic marker and a potential neuropharmacological intervention target for PD patients.

Шкала открытости будущему: русскоязычная адаптация и валидизация

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction.&lt;/strong&gt; The Openness to the Future Scale (OFS) was developed in 2018 to measure a new phenomenon in the field of positive psychology [5]. Contemporary professionals use it in research on both positive psychological resources and clinical psychological phenomena. &lt;strong&gt;Objective.&lt;/strong&gt; The aim of this study was to adapt the Russian&amp;ndash;language version of the Openness to the Future Scale on a population&amp;ndash;based sample. &lt;strong&gt;Method.&lt;/strong&gt; There were three groups of respondents: 374 volunteers from the general population, 72 homeless people temporarily living in the &amp;laquo;Warm Reception&amp;raquo; shelter, and 68 young adult graduates of orphanages and teenagers living in orphanages and dormitories at educational institutions. All participants filled out the Russian version of the Openness to the Future Scale, and participants in the second and third groups additionally filled out measures to assess psychological resources. &lt;strong&gt;Results.&lt;/strong&gt; Confirmatory factor analysis showed a single&amp;ndash;factor model identical to the factor structure of the original version of the Openness to the Future Scale, which confirmed the factor validity of the adapted instrument. The Cronbach's &amp;alpha;&amp;ndash;value was 0,83, which is evidence in favor of the internal reliability of the Russian version of the Openness to the Future Scale. Openness to the future scores were higher for male and younger respondents compared to female and older respondents. Openness to the future was positively correlated with life attitudes in the homeless and with resilience and proactive coping in young adult graduates and adolescents from orphanages. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusion.&lt;/strong&gt; The basic psychometric properties of the adapted instrument allow recommending it as a research tool. This pilot study determines the need for further psychometric examinations of the Russian&amp;ndash;language version of the Openness to the Future Scale, including by expanding the study sample, involving experts and respondents from different age and clinical groups, and comparing self&amp;ndash;report data with objective psychometric assessments.&lt;/p&gt;

Evaluating Psychometric Properties of the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form in a Heterogeneous Sample of Post-Operative Patients.

The International Knee Document Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC-SKF) is a patient-reported outcome measure used in orthopedics and sports medicine. Further psychometric assessment is necessary to confirm measurement properties in a large, heterogenous sample. The purpose of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the IKDC-SKF in a large, heterogenous sample. Cross-Sectional Study. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to identify a sound latent structure and to assess internal consistency in a large sample of patients who underwent knee arthroscopy. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to confirm structural validity. Multi-group invariance was conducted to assess factorial stability across sex and age groups, while longitudinal invariance procedures were performed to assess stability over time. A 3-factor, 9-item IKDC-SKF short form was identified with EFA procedures. The model was confirmed with CFA (CFI = 0.983; TLI = 0.975; IFI = 0.983; RMSEA = 0.057), while a sound 2-factor, 6-item model was also identified (CFI = 1.0; TLI = 0.999; IFI = 1.0; RMSEA = 0.11). The 9-item IKDC-SKF short form was invariant across groups but not time; removal of a single item (i.e., 8-item IKDC-SKF short form) resulted in longitudinal invariance. The 6-item IKDC-SKF short form was invariant across groups and time. The 6-item, 8-item, and 9-item short form versions of the IKDC-SKF exceed contemporary fit recommendations and present as plausible alternatives to the IKDC-SKF with improved measurement properties, reduced scale response burden, and evidence of multi-group and longitudinal invariance. Further, the 6- and 8-item IKDC-SKF short forms may be used to assess group differences or change across time.# Level of evidence hereLevel 3©The Author(s).

Psychometric Assessment of the Romanian Version of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+).

The goal of this study was to assess the validity of the Romanian version of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+) questionnaire. This study was conducted on a convenience sample of past patients and their acquaintances through an online questionnaire administered on the Google Forms platform between May 2021 and September 2022. The sections of the survey were demographic characteristics, the dental anxiety scale questionnaire, the IDAF-4C+ questionnaire, a single question about dental fear, and previous dental treatments. In total, 239 participants were included in the study, and the mean age was 37. The IDAF-4C questionnaire had good internal validity (Cronbach alpha was 0.945). The IDAF-4C had good convergent validity, and it was positively correlated with the dental anxiety scale (r = 0.825, p < 0.001) and the question about the fear of going to the dentist (r = 0.738, p < 0.001). The questionnaire had good reliability, and the intraclass correlation was 0.985. Lower levels of dental anxiety were associated with scaling, orthodontic treatment, and dental implants. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted after the removal of the first question from the phobia module, and residual covariance was added between items four and nine of the stimulus module, showing a good fit for the retained questions of the IDAF-4C+, grouped by module. The Romanian version of the IDAF-4C+ showed acceptable psychometric properties.

Psychometric assessment of pharmacists’ counseling in dementia

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore pharmacists' counseling for dementia by developing a measurement tool based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. MethodsA survey was applied online to community pharmacists; in total, 190 community pharmacists participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Mann-Whitney U test were performed. ResultsA six-factor structure was obtained from the EFA, and the CFA confirmed the structure. These factors explained 71.294% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the factors ranged from 0.728 to 0.913. In addition, the pharmacists rated themselves as having positive attitudes and intentions toward counseling for dementia. Differences in these factors were found between the groups based on their participation in vocational training on dementia. ConclusionThe developed measurement tool had a satisfactory construct and convergent and discriminant validities and reliabilities. Practice implicationsThe developed measurement tool can be used to investigate pharmacists’ self-reported counseling for dementia and can also be applied to the counseling behavior of pharmacists in various health conditions.

Immune gene co-expression signatures implicated in occurence and persistence of cognitive dysfunction in depression

Cognitive dysfunction contributes significantly to the burden caused by Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Yet, while compelling evidence suggests that different biological processes play a part in both MDD aetiology and the development of cognitive decline more generally, we only begin to understand the molecular underpinnings of depression-related cognitive impairment. Developments in psychometric assessments, molecular high-throughput methods and systems biology derived analysis strategies advance this endeavour.Here, we aim to identify gene expression signatures associated with cognitive dysfunction and cognitive improvement following therapy using RNA sequencing to analyze the whole blood-derived transcriptome of altogether 101 MDD patients who enrolled in the CERT-D study. The mRNA(Nova)Seq based transcriptome was analyzed from whole blood taken at baseline assessment, and patients' cognitive performance was measured twice at baseline and following eight weeks of therapy by means of the THINC integrated tool. Thirty-six patients showed comparatively low cognitive performance at baseline assessment, and 32 patients showed comparatively strong cognitive improvement following therapy. Differential gene expression analysis was performed using limma to a significance threshold of 0.05 and a logFC cutoff of |1.2|. Although we observed some indications for expression differences related to low cognitive performance and cognitive therapy response, signals did not withstand adjustment for multiple testing. Applying WGCNA, we retrieved altogether 25 modules of co-expressed genes and we used a combination of correlational and linear analyses to identify modules related to baseline cognitive performance and cognitive improvement following therapy. Three immune modules reflected distinct but interrelated immune processes (the yellow module: neutrophil-mediated immunity, the darkorange module: interferon signaling, the tan module: platelet activation), and higher expression of the yellow (r = −0.21, p < .05), the dark orange (r = 0.2, p < .05), and the tan (r = −0.23, p < .05) module correlated significantly negatively with patients' cognitive baseline performance. Patients' cognitive baseline performance was a significant predictor of the darkorange module (b = −0.039, p < .05) and the tan module's expression (b = 0.02, p < .05) and was close to becoming a significant predictor of the yellow module's expression (b = −0.02, p = .05). Furthermore, patients characterized by comparatively low cognitive performance at baseline showed significantly higher expression of the tan module when compared to all other patients F(1,97) = 4.32, p < .05, η= 0.04. Following eight weeks of treatment, we observed altogether significant improvement in patients' cognitive performance (b = 0.30, p < .001), and patients with comparatively high cognitive gain showed noticeably lower, but not significantly lower F(1,98) = 3.76, p = .058, expression of a dark turquoise module, which reflects complement and B-cell-associated immune processes. Noteworthy, the relation between cognitive performance and module expression remained observable after controlling for symptom severity and BMI, which partly accounted for variance in module expression. As such, our findings provide further evidence for the involvement of immune processes in MDD related cognitive dysfunction and they suggest that different immune processes contribute to the development and long-term persistence of cognitive dysfunction in the context of depression.

Psychometric Properties and Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards ChatGPT in Pharmacy Practice and Education: a Study Protocol.

ChatGPT represents an advanced conversational artificial intelligence (AI), providing a powerful tool for generating human-like responses that could change pharmacy prospects. This protocol aims to describe the development, validation, and utilization of a tool to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards ChatGPT (KAP-C) in pharmacy practice and education. The development and validation process of the KAP-C tool will include a comprehensive literature search to identify relevant constructs, content validation by a panel of experts for items relevancy using content validity index (CVI) and face validation by sample participants for items clarity using face validity index (FVI), readability and difficulty index using theFlesch-Kincaid Readability Test, Gunning Fog Index, or Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), assessment of reliability using internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine the underlying factor structures (eigenvalues, scree plot analysis, factor loadings, and varimax). The second phase will utilizethe validated KAP-C tool to conduct KAPsurveysamong pharmacists and pharmacy students in selected low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (Nigeria, Pakistan, and Yemen). The final data will be analyzed descriptively using frequencies, percentages, mean (standard deviation) or median (interquartile range), and inferential statistics like Chi-square or regressionanalyses using IBM SPSS version 28. Ap<0.05 will be considered statistically significant.ChatGPT holds the potential to revolutionize pharmacy practice and education. This study will highlight the psychometric properties of the KAP-C tool that assesses the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards ChatGPT in pharmacy practice and education. The findings will contribute to the potential ethical integration of ChatGPT into pharmacy practice and educationin LMICs, serveasa reference to other economies, and provide valuable evidence for leveraging AI advancements in pharmacy.

The RU_SATED as a measure of sleep health: cross-cultural adaptation and validation in Chinese healthcare students

BackgroundThe RU_SATED scale is a multidimensional instrument measuring sleep health, consisting of Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, Duration dimensions. We adapted and validated the Chinese RU_SATED (RU_SATED-C) scale.MethodsThe RU_SATED-C scale was developed through a formal linguistic validation process and was validated in an observational longitudinal survey design. Healthcare students completed the RU_SATED scale, Sleep Quality Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 among two sites of Hangzhou and Ningbo, China. Psychometric assessments included structural validity, longitudinal measurement invariance, convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability.ResultsA total of 911 healthcare students completed the RU_SATED-C scale at baseline (Time 1, T1) and follow-up (Time 2, T2) with an average time interval of 7 days + 5.37 h. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed a single-factor model and resulted in an acceptable model fit. The two-factor model previously found in the Japanese version fit better than the one-factor model, whereas the one-factor model fit had a better fit than the two-factor model found in the English version. Longitudinal CFA resulted in negligible changes in fit indices for four forms of increasingly restrictive models and supported that a single-factor model was equivalent over time. The data also endorsed longitudinal measurement invariance among the two-factor models found in the English and Japanese samples. The RU_SATED-C scale total score displayed a moderately strong negative correlation with sleep quality; however, negligible associations were observed with anxiety and depression. Ordinal Cronbach’s alpha and Ordinal McDonald's omega at T1 and T2 ranged from suboptimal to acceptable. The RU_SATED-C scale and all items were significantly correlated across time intervals.ConclusionThe RU_SATED-C scale is an easy-to-use instrument with potentially valid data for the measurement of multidimensional sleep health. Use of the RU_SATED-C scale can help raise awareness of sleep health and could pave the way for important efforts to promote healthy sleep.