Test-retest Intraclass Correlation Research Articles

Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of computerized clinical vestibular tools.

Clinical vestibular technology is rapidly evolving to improve objective assessments of vestibular function. Understanding the reliability and expected score ranges of emerging clinical vestibular tools is important to gauge how these tools should be used as clinical endpoints. The objective of this study was to evaluate inter-rater and test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of four vestibular tools and to determine expected ranges of scores through smallest real difference (SRD) measures. Sixty healthy graduate students completed two 1-hour sessions, at most a week apart, consisting of two video head-impulse tests (vHIT), computerized dynamic visual acuity (cDVA) tests, and a smartphone-assisted bucket test (SA-SVV). Thirty students were tested by different testers at each session (inter-rater) and 30 by the same tester (test-retest). ICCs and SRDs were calculated for both conditions. Most measures fell within the moderate ICC range (0.50-0.75). ICCs were higher for cDVA in the inter-rater subgroup and higher for vHITs in the test-retest subgroup. Measures from the four tools evaluated were moderately reliable. There may be a tester effect on reliabilities, specifically vHITs. Further research should repeat these analyses in a patient population and explore methodological differences between vHIT systems.

Test-retest reliability of the questionnaire on the screening of sleep disorders

Sleep is a vital component for maintaining good physical and mental health. When sleep is disordered, it can adversely affect an individual's mental and physical wellbeing. Although a variety of single specific disorder measurements are available for specialized clinicians use across the globe, to date, there are no proper screening instruments available for screening multiple sleep disorders at the primary care level. The purpose of this study is to determine the test-retest reliability of the sleep disorder screening questionnaire (SDSQ) for detecting multiple sleep disorders among the Mongolian population. A total of 366 university students were recruited for participation. SDSQ was administrated to all participants on two occasions two weeks apart. The test-retest reliability intra-class correlation (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha of the SDSQ were calculated. The sample consisted of 194 (53%) females, and 172 (47%) males, with a mean age of 21.6. Observed test-retest reliability was ranged from 0.53 to 0.81. The SDSQ was found to have excellent internal consistency with an alpha=0.950. The external validity of SDSQ revealed strong test-retest reliability in the current study population. The discriminant and convergent validity studies are required for the further improvement of the construct of the SDSQ.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Persian Version of the Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Scale.

The aim of this study was the cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of Clinical Decision Making in Nursing Scale (CDMNS). The original CDMNS was translated into Persian using the Beaton's guideline. Its qualitative face validity, qualitative and quantitative content validity, its construct validity, and reliability was assessed. Eleven items out of forty items were deleted due to factor loading values less than 0.3. Subsequently, model fit indices changed as follows: Chi-square value divided by degree of freedom (χ2/DF): 2.8, root mean score error of approximation (RMSEA): 0.07, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR): 0.06, comparative fit index (CFI): 0.93, goodness of fit index (GFI): 0.80, and adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI): 0.77. The Cronbach's alpha values and test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient of the 29-item scale and its subscales also increased after deleted. The 29-item Persian CDMNS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing Iranian nurses' perceptions of clinical decision-making.

Psychometric properties of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale-Persian version (TPDS-P)

BackgroundGiven the importance of screening pregnant women’s distress, it was intended to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS-P) for screening pregnancy distress.MethodsThis methodological psychometric study was conducted with participation of 360 pregnant women. The TPDS was translated into Persian. Factor analysis was used to investigate the construct validity. The results of the correlation test between the results of the two questionnaires, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and TPDS-P, were used to determine the criterion validity of TPDS-P. Internal consistency of the items was calculated by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Stability of the results was examined by test-retest method and Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was calculated. Examining the structure of the factors derived from exploratory factor analysis, fitness of the model was done through confirmatory factor analysis. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software.ResultsKaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) was 0.846 (p = 0.001). Sixteen items of TPDS-P accounted for 51.42 percent variances. The TPDS-P exhibited appropriate fitness. There was poor to moderate but significant direct correlation between the subscales of DASS-21 and TPDS-P. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the TPDS-P was 0.81 and ICC was 0.70.ConclusionsTPDS-P, with appropriate validity and reliability, can be used as a practical scale to evaluate women's distress during pregnancy in Farsi-speaking societies.

Investigation of the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function in cancer patients.

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) is a questionnaire that is used to evaluate the quality of life and cognitive functions according to individual self-reports. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the FACT-Cog. Cancer patients who were treated with chemo or radiotherapy and had a score of 24/30 and more in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were included in this study. Cognitive functions assessed with the FACT-Cog and the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire Core 30: Cognitive Function subscale (EORTC QLQ-CF). One hundred and forty cancer patients [female = 87 (62.1%), male = 53 (37.9%)] were included. The mean age of the participants was 47.93 ± 11.90 years. The Cronbach's α of the FACT-Cog scale was 0.82. Test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient values of the FACT-Cog questionnaire were varied from 0.855 to 0.954. There were found low correlations between the total score of the FACT-Cog and the MMSE (r = 0.26, p = 0.002), and moderate correlations between the EORTC QLQ-CF subscale and the FACT-Cog (r = -0.43; p < 0.001). It showed the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the FACT-Cog questionnaire for cancer patients. It may be beneficial to use this questionnaire for the effects of cancer treatment.

Validity and reliability of Japanese version of the pressure ulcer knowledge assessment tool

AimTo develop Japanese version of the pressure ulcer knowledge assessment tool, a tool for measuring nurses’ pressure ulcer knowledge to effectively evaluate the efficacy of current educational programs, resulting in prevention and early treatment, and to verify its validity and reliability among Japanese nurses. Materials and methodsA total of 1716 nurses across three university hospitals participated in this study. All had been employed for at least one year. Managers, part-timers, and those in the operating room and the outpatient ward were excluded from the study as it is limited to bedside preventive care.The original tool was translated into Japanese using the Brislin's translation model. A cross-sectional study was used to examine the reliability and validity of the measure within a Japanese sample. Assessment of the multiple-choice test items included analysis of the validity (item difficulty and discriminating index), construct validity, internal consistency, and stability (test–retest reliability). ResultsThe item difficulty indices ranged from 0.17 to 0.95, whereas values for item discrimination ranged from 0.15 to 0.45. Known group validity of the scale was confirmed; therefore, the higher-expertize group consisting of wound, ostomy, and continence nurses significantly outperformed nurses certified in other fields. The overall internal consistency reliability was 0.86 with a two-week test–retest intraclass correlation of 0.60. ConclusionsThe instrument may be applied as a reliable and valid measure to assess nurses’ pressure ulcer knowledge in the fields of nursing education, research, and practice in Japan.

Designing and Psychometric Properties of Appraisal Adherence to Care and Treatment Scale in Liver Transplantation Recipients

Background: Care and treatment adherence are important factors for given good liver transplantation outcomes. Objectives: Design and validate an instrument to appraise adherence to care and treatment in liver transplantation recipients. Methods: A mixed-methods sequential exploratory study was conducted in two phases from 2017 to 2019, in the Liver Transplantation Clinic Tehran, Iran. In the qualitative phase, the concept of care and treatment adherence in liver transplantation recipients extracted by a conventional content analysis was performed on semi-structural interviews that were conducted on 18 liver transplantation recipients that were recruited through purposive sampling technique. Also, two physicians, one nurse coordinator of the liver transplantation team, and two family members were interviewed. The scale was developed based on operational definitions extracted from the qualitative phase. The validity was assessed by face, content, construct validity, and confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability was also evaluated by calculating test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient and Cronbach's alpha. The exploratory factor analysis was carried out with 286 filled the questionnaire. Results: Four factors were extracted in factor analysis. These factors explained 45.622% of the variance. The final version of the scale consisted of 20 items. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient reported as 0.889 for the total scale and the intraclass correlation coefficient was reported as 0.912. The confirmatory factor analysis led to a fitting model. Chi-square indices were reported as CMIN/DF = 2.34, NFI = 0.94, CFI = 0.96, and RAMSEA = 0.067. Conclusions: With a four factors structure, validity and reliability of adherence to care and treatment scale are acceptable; therefore, it can be used for appraisal care and treatment adherence in liver transplant recipients.

PIN70 Psychometric Evaluation of the Respiratory Infection Intensity and Impact Questionnaire Version 2 (RiiQ™v2) Symptom Scores for Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The Respiratory Infection Intensity and Impact Questionnaire Version 2 (RiiQ™v2) is a patient-reported outcome tool to measure symptoms (respiratory and systemic) and impacts of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. This study evaluated the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of two key RiiQ™v2 symptom scores: lower respiratory tract symptom score (LRT-SS; cough, wheeze, phlegm, short of breath) and upper respiratory tract symptom score (URT-SS; sore throat, nasal congestion) to support their use as clinical trial endpoints. Data were collected in patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) from a Phase 2b study in 60 confirmed RSV-positive and 1,615 RSV-negative non-hospitalized individuals with no coinfections, and two observational studies in hospitalized RSV patients (n=20; n=100). Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), construct validity correlations (with clinician-reported signs/symptoms scores [CSS] and patient global impression of severity [PGIS]), known-groups validity (based on comorbidities and PGIS), and responsiveness (correlations of change scores) were evaluated. At ARI onset, higher proportions of RSV-positive patients had moderate-to-severe respiratory symptoms (≥3 on a 1 to 4 scale) than RSV-negative patients (cough: 60%/35%; phlegm: 28%/12%; nasal congestion: 56%/49%; sore throat: 28%/21%). CFA loadings (>0.40) along with several adequate goodness-of-fit indices supported planned summary scores. LRT and URT ICCs supported test-retest reliability. Moderate-to-strong correlations between LRT-SS, the CSS and PGIS support construct validity and consistency between clinician and patient ratings; correlations with URT-SS were moderate among RSV-negative patients but small among RSV-positive patients. Correlations with change in PGIS >0.30 supported responsiveness. The LRT domain showed stronger psychometric properties than the URT domain, possibly resulting from higher variability in the distribution of URT scores. Results show initial support for the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the RiiQ™v2 for use in clinical studies.

De-identification procedures for magnetic resonance images and the impact on structural brain measures at different ages.

Surface rendering of MRI brain scans may lead to identification of the participant through facial characteristics. In this study, we evaluate three methods that overwrite voxels containing privacy‐sensitive information: Face Masking, FreeSurfer defacing, and FSL defacing. We included structural T1‐weighted MRI scans of children, young adults and older adults. For the young adults, test–retest data were included with a 1‐week interval. The effects of the de‐identification methods were quantified using different statistics to capture random variation and systematic noise in measures obtained through the FreeSurfer processing pipeline. Face Masking and FSL defacing impacted brain voxels in some scans especially in younger participants. FreeSurfer defacing left brain tissue intact in all cases. FSL defacing and FreeSurfer defacing preserved identifiable characteristics around the eyes or mouth in some scans. For all de‐identification methods regional brain measures of subcortical volume, cortical volume, cortical surface area, and cortical thickness were on average highly replicable when derived from original versus de‐identified scans with average regional correlations >.90 for children, young adults, and older adults. Small systematic biases were found that incidentally resulted in significantly different brain measures after de‐identification, depending on the studied subsample, de‐identification method, and brain metric. In young adults, test–retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were comparable for original scans and de‐identified scans with average regional ICCs >.90 for (sub)cortical volume and cortical surface area and ICCs >.80 for cortical thickness. We conclude that apparent visual differences between de‐identification methods minimally impact reliability of brain measures, although small systematic biases can occur.

Perceived movement skill competence in stability: Validity and reliability of a pictorial scale in early adolescents.

Perceived motor competence (PMC) is important to health as it mediates the association between actual motor competence (AMC) and physical activity. Many instruments assess the broader construct of physical self-perception but no scale has been developed to assess PMC in stability. The aim of this study was to develop and analyze the reliability and validity of a new pictorial PMC in stability skill assessment when completed by early adolescents. A Delphi method showed ≥70% of experts' consensus in the seven proposed items. A sample of 904 students (11-14years old) self-reported PMC in locomotion, object control, and stability using two pictorial scales: Perceived Movement Skill Competence (PMSC) and the newly developed Stability (PMSC_Stability). The Körperkoordinations test for Kinder (KTK) was also administered as a measure of AMC in skills that utilize stability. Two different subsamples were randomly assigned to criterion validity and reliability assessments. Spearman's correlation, confirmatory factor analysis, and a general linear model for sex and age were conducted. The internal consistency (α) and test-retest (intraclass correlation coefficient) reliability values were good (>0.70). A single-factor latent model represented stability and did not differ by sex. Stability perception was associated with AMC (rho=0.51). Stability is important to the performance of many movement skills (eg, single-leg balance or moving on a narrow surface). Understanding which adolescents have poor stability perception could highlight stability as an area that needs targeting in order to increase physical activity and sport participation.

Evaluation and Validation of a Patient-completed Psoriatic Arthritis Flare Questionnaire.

Evaluation of a psoriatic arthritis (PsA), multidimensional, patient-completed disease flare questionnaire (FLARE). The FLARE questionnaire was administered to 139 patients in a prospective observational study. The "gold standard" of flare was based on patient opinion. Test-retest reliability was evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Disease activity was measured by the Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS), Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and PsA (GRAPPA) Composite Exercise (GRACE), Composite Psoriatic Disease Activity Index (CPDAI), and Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA). The most common symptoms of a PsA flare were musculoskeletal, followed by fatigue, frustration, loss of function, and an increase in cutaneous symptoms. The test-retest ICC for the FLARE questionnaire was 0.87 (95% CI 0.72-0.94). The optimum cut-off to identify a flare of disease was 4/10 (sensitivity 0.82, specificity 0.76; area under the curve 0.85). For those patients scoring ≥ 4, the mean score for the composite measures was as follows (score for those not reporting a flare in parentheses): PASDAS 5.3 ± 1.3 (3.1 ± 1.6); GRACE 4.5 ± 1.2 (2.2 ± 1.4); CPDAI 8.9 ± 2.5 (4.7 ± 3.1); and DAPSA 38.2 ± 20.3 (16.8 ± 14.9). In a new flare, the increase in composite measure score was calculated as follows: 1 for PASDAS and GRACE, 2 for CPDAI, and 7 for DAPSA. Agreement between the definition of flare using the cut-off of 4 from the questionnaire, and that indicated by the subject in a separate, standalone question was 0.57 (Cohen κ). A PsA flare displays escalation of symptoms and signs across multiple domains. The FLARE questionnaire has external validity in terms of both composite disease activity and overall patient opinion about the state of their condition.

Preliminary Validation of the Global Neuropsychological Assessment in Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Volunteers.

We administered the Global Neuropsychological Assessment (GNA), an abbreviated cognitive battery, to 105 adults aged 73.0 ± 7.1 years, including 28 with probable Alzheimer's disease, 9 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and 68 healthy controls. We examined group differences in baseline performance, test-retest reliability, and correlations with other conventional tests. Healthy adults outperformed patients on all five GNA subtests. Test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients were significant for all GNA subtests. Among patients with healthy controls, GNA Story Memory correlated best with Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) Logical Memory for learning and delayed recall, GNA Digit Span correlated most highly with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III) Digit Span, GNA Perceptual Comparison correlated most highly with the Trail Making Test, and GNA Animal Naming correlated most highly with Supermarket Item Naming. Preliminary findings suggest that the GNA shows good test-retest validity, clear convergent and discriminant construct validity, and excellent diagnostic criterion validity for dementia and mild cognitive impairment in an American sample.

Development of the Teaching Interpersonal Skills for Telehealth Checklist.

While interpersonal skills in telehealth may positively impact clinical practice, patient engagement and outcomes, assessment strategies are lacking. We conducted a multi-stage iterative approach to develop and test validity and reliability of the Teaching Interpersonal Skills in Telehealth checklist (TIPS-TC). First, we identified observable communication behaviors from the literature. Second, we surveyed telehealth managers and researchers (N = 11) to rate appropriateness of potential checklist items. Level of agreement (35%-91%) and Kappa statistic (0.18-0.89) confirmed items to be retained and identified items to modify. Based on response patterns and comments, we reduced 44 items to 12 critical checklist behaviors. Third, student clinicians used the checklist with video telehealth consultations and provided feedback. Fourth, we conducted reliability testing with practitioners and administrators (N = 68) who completed the TIPS-TC for two versions of a telehealth scenario. Strong interrater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and test-retest reliability ICC (both p < .001), along with non-significant findings of order effects supported the checklist as an acceptable instrument to differentiate high skill from low skill telehealth sessions. The TIPS-TC offers an evidence-based approach to assessing interpersonal skills in telehealth to help evaluate clinician competence and tailor learning activities across disciplinary roles.

Cross-cultural adaptation, validity and reliability of Turkish version of the Waterloo Handedness and Footedness Questionnaire-Revised

ABSTRACT This study investigated the validity and reliability of Turkish versions of the Waterloo Handedness and Footedness Questionnaire-Revised (WHQ-R and WFQ-R). Turkish versions of the WHQ-R and the WFQ-R, and other assessments (the Handedness Questionnaire and the Footedness Preference Test) were applied to 444 healthy participants aged between 18 and 65 years. The translation and cultural adaptation process of the WHQ-R and the WFQ-R was provided by the following proposed guideline. For test-retest reliability, translated versions were re-applied to 88 participants in a 7-day interval. Cronbach’s alpha of the WHQ-R was 0.984 and that of the WFQ was 0.905. The test-retest intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) of the WHQ-R varied from 0.741 to 0.933 and those of the WFQ-R from 0.649 to 0.814. There were moderate to strong correlations between the WHQ-R and the Handedness Questionnaire (r = −853, p < 0.001) and between the WFQ-R and the Footedness Preference Test (r = −0.687, p < 0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure of the WHQ-R and the WFQ-R. The results of this study demonstrated that Turkish versions of the WHQ-R and the WFQ-R are reliable and valid inventories for assessing handedness and footedness in this population.

Scale Development Study: Readiness for Discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Home Care of Premature Infants by Parents.

To develop the readiness for hospital discharge scale for mothers and fathers with a premature infant hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit and to test the validity and reliability of this scale. A cross-sectional study. Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey, from February to June 2020. This study was conducted with 136 mothers and 133 fathers, who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study. After the content validity of the scale was evaluated, the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis (Cronbach Alfa) and test-retest reliability were performed. As a result of the factor analysis, items of the mother form and the father form were reduced to 22 and 20, respectively from the scale with 25 items. The confirmatory factor analysis fit indexes were calculated as χ²/df: 1.666, SRMR: 0.0598 in mothers and χ²/df: 2.110, SRMR: 0.0692 in fathers. The Cronbach's Alpha values were 0.911 for mothers and 0.948 for fathers. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was observed as 0.835 for mothers and 0.942 for fathers. In line with the validity and reliability analyses, it was determined that the mother and father forms of the readiness of the parents of premature infants hospitalised in the NICU for the discharge of infants and home care scale were valid and reliable scales for measuring parents' readiness for discharge. Key Words: Parent, Premature, Neonatal intensive care units, Scale, Development, Reliability and validity.

Validity and reliability of the Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire for the Turkish athletes

Objective: The aim of this research is to determine validity and reliability of Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (SNKQ) for the Turkish athletes. Patients and Methods: A total of 210 participants (n = 125 elite athletes and n = 85 Nutrition and Dietetics Department senior students) aged 19-30 years were enrolled in the research. SNKQ was evaluated utilizing the psychometric criteria to determine the reliability of items, test-retest reliability and known groups validity, by significance test (Independent Samples t-Test) of the difference between the two groups. After two weeks, SNKQ was applied again to some participants (n = 42) with the purpose of assuring testretest reliability. Results: The Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire was detected as valid and reliable according to the high internal consistency value (Kuder Richardson-20 (KR-20) = 0.927) and high test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.974). The difference between SNKQ total scores of athletes (36.0 ± 8.1) and Nutrition and Dietetics Department students (59.1 ± 5.98) was statistically significant; thus, the known groups validity was obtained (p &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusion: The Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire is valid and reliable. It can be easily used to determine the nutrition knowledge level of the Turkish athletes.

Development and validation of the Japanese version of the team job crafting scale for nurses.

Team job crafting, which refers to designing the task, relational, and cognitive aspects of a job, is thought to be beneficial for nurses working in the ward. There are no scales to assess team job crafting among nurses. This study aimed to develop and examine the reliability and validity of a scale to measure team job crafting. Based on literature reviews and interviews, potential items were created. A total of 293 nurses working on 19 wards in two hospitals in Japan were asked to complete a questionnaire twice. A series of exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) were conducted to select the final items. For convergent validity, multilevel correlations were calculated. Cronbach's α and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for reliability. A total of 190 participants responded to the baseline survey and 152 responded to the retest. The EFAs yielded a three-factor structure comprising 13 items. The three factors are task crafting considering the team's growth, cognitive crafting for members' respect and reflection of meaningfulness of work, and relational crafting for smooth information sharing. Cronbach's α ranged from.810 to.831, and test-retest ICCs ranged from 0.571 to 0.710. At the individual level, team job crafting had small-to-moderate correlations with individual levels of job crafting, job control, supervisor support, co-worker support, job satisfaction, workplace social capital, and work engagement. The ICC of the team job crafting scores of 0.125 indicated meaningful variation across wards. At the ward-level, nonsignificant but strong correlations were found with workplace social capital, job satisfaction, and psychological distress. This scale showed acceptable levels of reliability and validity. It would be useful in monitoring and improving team job crafting to increase team members' well-being and performance.

Cross-cultural adaptation into French and validation of the SCAR-Q questionnaire.

Most questionnaires designed to evaluate patient-reported outcomes regarding scarring are available in English. The objective was to generate a validated French version of the SCAR-Q questionnaire. The SCAR-Q questionnaire (including Appearance, Symptom and Psychological impact scales) was translated into French using a translation-back-translation process in accordance with international guidelines (ISPOR and WHO). For validation, two hundred patients consulting in our tertiary center completed the questionnaire. We tested scale reliability (Cronbach's α), floor/ceiling effects and item redundancy (inter-item correlations). Structural validity was tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the robust weighted least squares (WLSMV) estimator and Delta parameterization. Model fit was examined using the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the comparative fit index (CFI) and the Tucker-Lewis index (TLI). Correlations between scales and scale repeatability were tested (Spearman coefficient, Intra-class-coefficient). Four steps were required to obtain a translation consistent with the original version. Two hundred patients completed the questionnaire for validation. Internal consistency analysis found Cronbach's alphas > 0.7 for all scales (0.90 <α< 0.97). No floor or ceiling effect was found for all items (max = 85%). A ceiling effect was observed for all scales. Appearance and psychosocial impact scale items showed redundancy, with many inter-item correlations above 0.7. The CFA of the original structure displayed a reasonable fit, with RMSEA = 0.065, CFI = 0.974 and TLI = 0.972. Scales were positively correlated (0.45 < ρ < 0.65; p < 0.001). Test-retest intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.94 to 0.99 for all scales. A French version of the SCAR-Q questionnaire is validated, ready for use.

Test-retest reproducibility of dopamine transporter density measured with [18F]FP-CIT PET in patients with essential tremor and Parkinson's disease.

18F-labeled fluoropropyl-carbomethoxylodopropyl-nor-ß-tropane ([18F]FP-CIT) positron emission tomography (PET) is a useful tool for evaluating disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We evaluated the test-retest reproducibility of [18F]FP-CIT PET measures in essential tremor (ET) and PD patients. Fifteen ET (68.9 ± 6.6years) and 10 PD patients (70.5 ± 6.3years; Hoehn and Yahr stage, 2.3 ± 0.8) underwent two [18F]FP-CIT PET/CT scans with an interval of 48 ± 7day. For both the test and retest studies, standardized uptake value ratios were estimated for 90-min and 3-h acquisitions for the caudate, anterior putamen, and posterior putamen using T1-MRI-based normalization (automatic) and fixed-VOI (manual) methods, with the occipital lobe as a reference. Reproducibility was evaluated by the bias, variability, percent test-retest, within-subject coefficient of variation, repeatability coefficient, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Reproducibility was excellent, with low variability (ET: 6.99-8.02%, PD: 3.51-6.94%) and high reliability (ICC; ET: 0.88-0.96, PD: 0.98-0.99). The ET group showed higher variability and lower ICCs than the PD group. The variability in the 90-min images (ET: 7.85-8.59%, PD: 1.52-2.75%) was comparable to that in the 3-h images (ET: 6.99-8.02%, PD: 3.51-6.94%). There were no differences in variability among the subregions in the ET group. In the PD group, the variability was high in the posterior putamen (automatic method: 6.94%, manual method: 11.80%). The test-retest variability and ICCs were similar for the manual and automatic methods. [18F]FP-CIT PET is reproducible for the quantitative measurement of DAT binding in both ET and PD individuals, independent of the acquisition time or analysis method. Also, the automaticmethod is more suitable for evaluating early loss of DAT binding inpatients with PD.

Semi-automatic measurements of foot morphological parameters from 3D plantar foot scans

BackgroundFoot healthcare research is focusing increasingly on personalized orthotic and prosthetic devices to address patient-specific morphology and ailments. Customization requires advanced 3D image processing tools to assess foot and leg geometrical parameters and alterations. The aim of this study is to present a new software for the measurement of the foot shape from 3D scans of the foot plantar surface.MethodsA Kinect-based scanning device was used to acquire the 3D foot shape of 44 healthy subjects. A software was developed in Matlab to measure the foot main morphological parameters from foot scans. Principal Component Analysis was used to orientate the foot scans with respect to the same reference system. Accuracy, via percentage errors and Bland-Altman plots, and correlation of the software-based foot parameters were assessed against manual measurements. A normalized Arch Volume Index (nAVI) was proposed and correlated to the traditional Arch Index. Test-retest Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was used to assess the inter-session repeatability of foot measurements.ResultsThe average percentage error between software and manual measurements was 1.2 ± 0.8% for foot length, 9.1 ± 3.7% for foot width, 22.3 ± 13.5% for arch height and 23.1 ± 12.7% for arch depth. Very strong correlations were observed for foot length (R = 0.97) and foot width (R = 0.83), and strong correlations for arch height (R = 0.62) and arch depth (R = 0.74). nAVI was negatively correlated to the Arch Index (R = -0.54). A small difference was found between software and manual measurements of foot length (Δ = 0.92 mm), a software overestimation of foot width (Δ = 8.6 mm) and underestimation of arch height (Δ = -1.4%) and arch depth (Δ = -11%). Moderate to excellent repeatability was observed for all measurements (0.67–0.99).ConclusionsThe present software appears capable to estimate the foot main morphological parameters without the need for skin markers or for identification of anatomical landmarks. Moreover, measurements are not affected by the foot orientation on the scanning device. The good accuracy and repeatability of measurements make the software a potentially useful operator-independent tool for the assessment of foot morphological alterations and for orthotics customization. nAVI may be used for a more realistic classification of foot types when 3D foot images are available.