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PubMed2006

The measurement of social disablement and assessment of psychometric properties of the Social Behaviour Schedule (SBS-BR) in 881 Brazilian long-stay psychiatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Data on the prevalence of social disablement in long-stay psychiatric patients, and the assessment of the psychometric properties of the instruments that evaluate social behaviour in this population are scarce in Brazil. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence rates of social disablement in a population of long-stay psychiatric patients from the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, and assessed the psychometric properties of the Social Behaviour Schedule (SBS). METHOD: Data were collected from a population of 881 psychiatric patients housed in the Municipal Mental Health Institute using the 21-item SBS. RESULTS: Most of the patients were women (59%), the mean age was 65.8 years (SD = 11) and the mean length of stay was 37.3 years (SD = 11.5). Of the population, 50.6% were scored as having poor self-care, 46% with little spontaneous communication, 41.1% with poor attention span, and 37.1% with underactivity. Comparing our data with international studies that used the same instrument, we found that our population was more disabled than the others, especially on the social withdrawal factor. Regarding psychometric properties, the inter-rater kappa was 0.709, the inter-informant kappa was 0.500, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.766. The groups of patients in the six settings of the institute presented significant statistical differences in the total score (F = 11.447, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the high rates of social disablement in this population. The precarious conditions of the institution where the patients have been living for decades and unmet individual care may have exacerbated their social disablement. Furthermore, the SBS-BR had satisfactory psychometric properties, particularly reliability, showing it to be an adequate instrument for measuring social disablement in Brazil.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

The big mush: psychometric measures are confounded and non-independent in their association with age at initial diagnosis of Ischaemic Coronary Heart Disease.

The present study uses early diagnosis of ischaemic coronary heart disease (ICHD) as a proxy for disease malignancy in testing the statistical strength of association, and uniqueness/confounding, of several psychometric scales that have previously been found to prospectively predict death in cardiac samples (Beck Depression Inventory, Crown-Crisp Phobic Anxiety Scale, Type D Scale & Ketterer Stress Symptom Frequency Checklist). Eighty-three patients (no. of females = 35) with documented ICHD were assessed for traditional and psychometric risk factors. The psychometric risk factors were moderately to strongly intercorrelated, and strongly confounded in their relationship to age at initial diagnosis. In a stepwise multiple regression, only the AIAI (aggravation, irritation, anger and impatience) scale of the Ketterer Stress Symptom Frequency Checklist (KSSFC) survived as a predictor of age at initial diagnosis (P = 0.016). In a subgroup of the sample for whom the Spouse/Friend Version of the KSSFC was received (n = 58, or 70%), spouse/friend reported AIAI survived as the only predictor (P = 0.010). While present results need replication in a prospective study of diagnosed ICHD patients for all important clinical outcomes, only one psychometric screening instrument may be necessary to identify patients in need of treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

The psychometric and cardiac effects of pseudoephedrine in the hyperbaric environment.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the psychometric and cardiac effects of pseudoephedrine at 1 and 3 atmospheres (atm) of pressure (0 and 66 feet of sea water, respectively), and to make recommendations about the agent's safety in the diving environment. DESIGN: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. SETTING: Monoplace hyperbaric chamber of a university hospital. SUBJECTS: Thirty active divers (mean age 38 yrs). INTERVENTION: A bank of seven tests was used to assess cognitive function during four different simulated dive combinations: placebo-1 atm, placebo3 atm, pseudoephedrine-1 atm, and pseudoephedrine-3 atm. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Heart rate and cardiac rhythm were recorded during all dives. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the effects of pseudoephedrine, depth, and drug-depth interaction. No significant, independent effects of pseudoephedrine were seen on any of the seven psychometric test scores (p>0.05), although the drug tended to increase anxiety scores (p=0.092). Depth resulted in a significant increase in anxiety scores (p=0.021) and a significant decrease in verbal fluency test scores (p=0.041); it had no significant effects on the other five psychometric tests (p>0.05). Pseudoephedrine caused a significant increase (p=0.036) in mean heart rate, and depth caused a significant decrease (p=0.013). Neither pseudoephedrine nor depth affected cardiac rhythm. CONCLUSION: Pseudoephedrine does not cause significant alterations in psychometric performance at 3 atm of pressure that might increase the risk of diving. Depth causes significant adverse effects on anxiety levels and semantic memory at 3 atm. Pseudoephedrine and depth have significant but opposite effects on heart rate; although, these effects are unlikely to be clinically significant during diving. It is unlikely that pseudoephedrine adds significant risk to the diver.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Cross-cultural equivalence and psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Depressive Cognition Scale.

There is a great need for researchers to have access to reliable and valid research instruments in their own language to measure a concept of interest or concern. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine semantic equivalency and psychometric properties of the Depressive Cognition Scale (DCS) in a Brazilian sample of diabetics. Back-translation and field testing methodology was used to determine the DCS semantic equivalency and psychometric properties. A convenience sample of 40 bilingual Brazilian adults was used to conduct the field testing of the scale. The findings suggested that the translation of the DCS was adequate and initial estimates of internal consistency and construct validity were adequate for both the DCS and its Portuguese version. Psychometric testing of the Portuguese language version of the DCS in this small sample appears to have sufficient reliability and validity for use in examining depressive cognitions in Brazilian adults. Further psychometric testing of the Portuguese version of the DCS in a larger Portuguese-speaking sample with diabetes is recommended.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Quantitative psychometric testing and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy--comparative study between encephalopathic and non-encephalopathic patients with liver cirrhosis.

Six quantitative psychometric tests were performed on 51 healthy subjects, 19 cirrhotic patients with subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE), 32 cirrhotic patients without SHE, and 26 patients with other diseases. Strong correlations between age and the results of all the psychometric tests were observed in the healthy subjects (p less than 0.005). Sex and etiology of liver cirrhosis did not affect the test results. SHE patients, compared with non-SHE and health subjects, presented impairment in the ability to perform the tests, even in the absence of obvious clinical and electroencephalogram findings. In SHE patients, trailmaking test A (TMT A) yielded the highest frequency of abnormal values, 63%. TMT A results were abnormal in 80% of SHE patients with abnormal scores in other tests, and thus it seemed to be the most sensitive test. Liver function tests did not correlate with psychometric testing in any of the groups. Blood ammonia levels in SHE patients with abnormal TMT A scores correlated with TMT A scores (r = 0.752, p less than 0.01); this was not the case in SHE nor non-SHE patients with normal TMT A results. These data demonstrate the usefulness of psychometric tests in detecting SHE.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Shifts in the psychometric function and their implications for models of timing.

This study examined how two models of timing, scalar expectancy theory (SET) and learning to time (LeT), conceptualize the learning process in temporal tasks, and then reports two experiments to test these conceptualizations. Pigeons responded on a two-alternative free-operant psychophysical procedure in which responses on the left key were reinforceable during the first two, but not the last two, quarters of a 60-s trial, and responses on the right key were reinforceable during the last two, but not the first two, quarters of the trial. In Experiment 1 three groups of birds experienced a difference in reinforcement rates between the two keys only at the end segments of the trial (i.e., between the first and fourth quarters), only around the middle segments of the trial (i.e., between the second and third quarters), or in both end and middle segments. In Condition 1 the difference in reinforcement rate favored the left key; in Condition 2 it favored the right key. When the reinforcement rates differed in the end segments of the trial, the psychometric function--the proportion of right responses across the trial--did not shift across conditions; when it occurred around the middle of the trial or in both end and middle segments, the psychometric function shifted across conditions. Experiment 2 showed that the psychometric function shifts even when the overall reinforcement rate for the two keys is equal, provided the rates differ around the middle of the trial. This pattern of shifts of the psychometric function is inconsistent with SET. In contrast, LeT provided a good quantitative fit to the data.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Invariance of the psychometric function for character recognition across the visual field.

The psychometric function for recognition of singly presented digits as a function of digit contrast was measured at 2 degrees steps across the horizontal meridian of the visual field, under monocular and binocular viewing conditions. A maximum-likelihood staircase procedure was used in a 10-alternative forced-choice recognition paradigm to gather the data Both the Weibull and the logistic psychometric functions provide excellent fits to the observed data. The slopes of these functions at their point of inflection ranged from 4.0 to 5.0 proportion-correct/log10-unit contrast, for both monocular and binocular viewing and for all loci in the visual field. These slope values correspond to short-term measurements (around 30 trials, or 1 min) and do not include performance variations of longer duration; the latter are estimated to increase slope by a factor of about 1.5. A single psychometric function shape, centered around a threshold value, therefore describes recognition performance at all retinal loci and binocularity. An empirical comparison of slope results across the literature shows that the function's slope is about twice that reported for a number of detection tasks. The comparison of recognition contrast thresholds, percentage correct values, and other performance measures across studies requires the knowledge of the psychometric function's slope, and our results thus provide a firm basis for the study of low-contrast character recognition.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

On the analysis of psychometric functions: the Spearman-Kärber method.

With computer simulations, we examined the performance of the Spearman-Kärber method for analyzing psychometric functions and compared this method with the standard technique of probit analysis. The Spearman-Kärber method was found to be superior in most cases. It generally yielded less biased and less variable estimates of the location and dispersion of a psychometric function, and it provided more power to detect differences in these parameters across experimental conditions. Moreover, the Spearman-Kärber method provided information about the skewness and higher moments of psychometric functions that is beyond the scope of probit analysis. These advantages of the Spearman-Kärber method suggest that it should often be used in preference to probit analysis for the analysis of observed psychometric functions.

Confidence Intervals↗

PubMed2002

Spatial-frequency uncertainty and cuing effects on psychometric functions for contrast detection.

In the present study, the effects of spatial-frequency uncertainty and cuing on psychometric functions for contrast detection of sinusoidal gratings are examined. For this purpose, psychometric functions were collected from 4 subjects under fixed-frequency, randomized-frequency, and cued-frequency conditions. The experiment was conducted with a temporal two-alternative forced-choice task, and five spatial frequencies in the range of 0.5 and 8.0 c/deg and seven contrast levels for each frequency were used. The results showed that the psychometric functions for the randomized-frequency condition were shallower than those for the fixed-frequency condition, supporting the single-band model for the uncertainty effects (Hübner, 1993a, 1993b). For the cued-frequency condition, the slopes of the functions were not clearly different from those for the randomized condition. These results clearly differ from those of Hübner (1996b), which showed, in the spatial two-alternative forced-choice task, steeper psychometric functions for the randomized-frequency condition than those for the fixed- and cued-frequency conditions, supporting the multiple-band model (Hübner, 1993a, 1993b). The difference suggests that the single-band model applies to the uncertainty effects in the temporal forced-choice task, whereas the multiple-band model does so in the spatial forced-choice task.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[How to evaluate the quality of information transfer from physician to patient? Choice of psychometric tests for a decision tree in a Regional Cancer Centre].

BACKGROUND: Decision boards are used to transfer information from physicians to patients to help them participate in the clinical decision-making process. We present the tests and results of the psychometric properties of a decision board in a sample of healthy volunteers. METHODS: In the Regional Cancer Centre located in Lyon, we developed a decision board for post-menopausal women with breast cancer after lumpectomy without any poor prognostic factors. Two treatment options were proposed, one involving chemotherapy and the other not. We tested for the following psychometric properties: comprehension, construct validity and reliability. Comprehension was evaluated using a questionnaire, in order to test whether the rates of correct answers were due to chance alone. The construct validity was assessed by changing the information provided (relapse and survival rates, characteristics of chemotherapy) and testing whether the proportion of healthy volunteers choosing an option changed in a predictable and significant way. The reliability was evaluated using the test-retest method. Two reliability statistics were computed: the Pearson correlation and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient. RESULTS: In the sample of 40 healthy volunteers, 23 chose the option with chemotherapy and 17 the option without chemotherapy. Results show that the decision board was comprehensive, valid (the women changed their choices in a predictable way) and reliable (Pearson correlation and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient close to 1). CONCLUSION: The choice of the psychometrics properties tested and the statistical tests used are discussed. The psychometric properties of our tool are found to be satisfactory.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Psychometrics and clinimetrics in assessing environments. A comment suggested by Mackenzie et al., 2002.

Psychometrics is the name commonly used for the principles and methods of developing valid and reliable measures of intelligence, attitudes, skills, and other characteristics. One focus of psychometrics is the homogeneity of the items selected to measure the (unidimensional) latent construct of interest. Clinical scientists often use operationalizations of constructs that incorporate multiple dimensions, which may be quantified using only a single indicator. The difference between the two approaches is significant enough that Feinstein proposed a new science, clinimetrics. Homogeneity of items is of limited importance in clinimetrics, and construct indicators may be "causal" rather than "effectual." In measuring environments of individuals, the clinimetric approach seems more appropriate than the psychometric one. An article by Mackenzie et al. (J Allied Health 2002; 31:222-228) is used to show how adhering to psychometric models may suggest analytical procedures that are misleading. Some principles of the clinimetric method are set forth.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed1989

On the central effects of a new partial benzodiazepine agonist Ro 16-6028 in man: pharmaco-EEG and psychometric studies.

In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, the encephalotropic and psychotropic properties of a new partial benzodiazepine agonist Ro 16-6028 were investigated as compared to a pure agonist diazepam utilizing quantitative EEG and psychometric analysis as well as clinical observations. Ten normal volunteers received randomized (latin square design) and at weekly intervals, single oral doses of placebo, 0.05 mg, 0.1 mg and 0.2 mg Ro 16-6028 and 10 mg diazepam as reference substance. EEG-recordings, psychometric tests and evaluation of blood pressure, pulse and side effects were carried out at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 h. Computer-assisted spectral analysis of the EEG demonstrated after 10 mg diazepam, a typical "anxiolytic" pharmaco-EEG profile characterized by an increase of beta activity, decrease of alpha activity and acceleration of the centroid total activity. Ro 16-6028 induced in the vigilance-controlled recordings a similar profile thereby exhibiting tranquilizing properties too. However, in the resting condition we observed also an increase of delta/theta activity along with a decrease of alpha activity while the beta augmentation was observed mostly in the fast frequency bands and not so much in the middle fast frequency bands as is the case with the known full agonists. The latter findings were somewhat reminiscent of the pharmaco-EEG profiles seen often in certain neuroleptics. Our data indicate a selective sedation after the novel partial agonist. Dose/treatment-efficacy calculations demonstrated 10 mg diazepam as the most CNS-effective drug followed closely by 0.2 mg Ro 16-6028, 0.1 mg and 0.05 mg, while placebo induced the least changes. Only 0.2 mg Ro 16-6028 and the reference compound differed from placebo at all times. Time-efficacy calculations showed a peak effect of the novel partial agonist around the 3rd h and that of diazepam in the 1st h. Psychometric tests demonstrated similar findings. After 0.2 mg Ro 16-6028 a decrease of attention, numerical memory, psychomotor activity, wakefulness and CFF was observed, while mood improved at later time periods outlasting the sedation. After 10 mg diazepam 10 out of 13 psychometric and psychophysiological variables showed significant findings previously described as typical for anxiolytic sedatives in normals. On the whole, the partial agonist induced less sedation than the full agonist, which is reflected in its superiority in regard to noopsychic and thymopsychic functions. Evaluation of pulse and blood pressure showed no clinically relevant findings. The new partial agonist was well tolerated.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Are event-related potentials in multiple sclerosis indicative of cognitive impairment? Evoked and event-related potentials, psychometric testing and response speed: a controlled study.

Bimodal event-related potentials (ERPs), together with evoked potentials (EPs), measures of motor speed (tapping test, EMG latencies and reaction times (RT)), and psychometric test results were studied in a group of 30 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 19 controls. ERPs have been advocated as objective tests of cognitive function. In the present study ERPs were compared with the results of psychometric tests, which have a proven validity in measuring aspects of cognitive function that are important in daily life. Abnormal EMG, RT and tapping speed confirmed that motor aspects of performance were slowed in the MS group. In contrast, cognitive non-motor variables such as Raven-IQ and MQ were not significantly abnormal. The proportions of abnormal ERP N2 and P3 latencies did not differ between the groups. It is concluded that the slow performance of MS subjects is therefore most likely not due to cognitive speed decrement, but to motor, executive impairments. No significant relationships between ERP latencies and psychometric test results were found. This held even for a subgroup of 5 MS patients with psychometrically established cognitive impairments. Based on these results, we query the relevance of ERPs as subtle indicators of cognitive impairment in MS.

Cognition Disorders↗

PubMed2001

Neuroendocrine, polysomnographic and psychometric observations in healthy subjects at high familial risk for affective disorders: the current state of the 'Munich vulnerability study'.

The present article summarizes the main results of the cross-sectional part of the 'Munich Vulnerability Study' in which healthy first-degree relatives of patients with an affective disorder were investigated by assessing their neuroendocrine, polysomnographic and psychometric status. As patients with an acute episode of a major depression, the group of the healthy relatives exhibited signs of a hyperactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system verified by the combined dexamethasone corticotropin-releasing hormone (DEX/CRH) test, as well as a slow wave sleep deficit in the first sleep cycle and an increased amount of rapid eye movements during REM sleep. The psychometric profile of the healthy relatives was characterised by elevated scores on the scales measuring 'Rigidity' and 'Autonomic Lability'. On a single-case level, 32% of the healthy first-degree relatives of patients with an affective disorder exhibited 'depression-like' features or conspicuous findings in at least two of the three (i.e. neuroendocrine, polysomnographic, psychometric) areas assessed. Whether the relatives with the neurobiological and psychometric abnormalities we identified have a higher risk for developing an affective disorder than those without has to be answered by the still ongoing prospective part of the study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Signal uncertainty and psychometric functions in profile analysis.

Experiment 1 was conducted to compare the effects of signal frequency uncertainty on the detection of a change in spectral shape and on the detection of a tone in wideband noise. Results indicate that for both tasks the uncertainty effect was small, being on average about 3 dB. In a second experiment, psychometric functions were measured for the detection of changes in the spectral shape of multicomponent complexes. Psychometric functions for profile tasks have a 25-dB range and are similar to those measured for the detection of an increment in the level of a single sinusoid. These psychometric functions are different from those found when detecting a signal in noise, which typically have a 10-dB range. Three equations for the shape of the psychometric functions were compared. The difference in the resulting fits was small, thus preventing an unambiguous choice of functional form.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychometric theory is an obstacle to the progress of clinical research.

Psychometric theory is the basis for the development of assessment instruments in psychiatric research. However, the psychometric model appears to be largely inadequate in the clinical setting because of its lack of sensitivity to change and its quest for homogeneous components. Clinimetrics offers a viable alternative to psychometrics, both from a conceptual and a methodological viewpoint. Current diagnostic entities (DSM) are based on clinimetric principles, but their use is still influenced by psychometric models. Suggestions for switching gears in assessment research are offered.

Anxiety↗

PubMed1975

Multivariate analyses of anthropometric and psychometric variables in probands with affective disorders and their families.

Data on 121 subjects, probands with affective disorders, their spouses and first degree relatives, are analyzed by multivariate methods to determine the relationships between physical types and propensity to illness. 56 variables are used: 39 anthropometric measures, age, sex, and 15 psychometric scales. In a canonical analysis between the anthropometric measures and the psychiatric scales, each canonical variable is found to be largely identified with a single psychometric component, as found in a principal components analysis of the psychometric scales. The two major anthropometric components, size and linearity, do not have any clear relationship with the psychometric components. However, a discriminant analysis that takes each individual as being in one of four clinical groups, normal, unipolar depressed, bipolar affective disorder or other, indicates a clear relationship between the anthropometric measures and mental illness; wide face and deep chest are associated with patients who have bipolar affective disorder. Half of the variables studied are sufficient to give virtually the same amount of discrimination as all 56 variables.

Affective Symptoms↗

PubMed1991

Abnormalities of cognitive functions in IDDM revealed by P300 event-related potential analysis. Comparison with short-latency evoked potentials and psychometric tests.

The possible influence of diabetes on the higher mnestic and cognitive functions has been investigated. The P300 wave latency, an endogenous electrophysiological event, was explored and compared with the multimodal short-latency evoked potential (EP) recordings (visual [VEP], brainstem auditory [BAEP], and median and tibial nerve somatosensory EPs [mSEP and tSEP, respectively]) and psychometric test measures in 16 insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients, in 16 age- and (IDDM) sex-matched nondiabetic subjects, and in a large normal reference population. The age of subjects, the duration of IDDM, and the metabolic control of patients were taken into account. P300 values were significantly increased in IDDM versus matched control subjects (P less than 0.001), and 3 patients showed values above the reference value range. Abnormal VEP recordings were present in 1 of 16 patients, BAEP in 3 of 16, mSEP in 7 of 16, and tSEP in 6 of 16. Digit-span backward test results were significantly (P less than 0.02) modified in the diabetic cohort. There was no tendency for anomalies of P300, short-latency EPs, and psychometric test values to be contemporarily present, except in 1 patient. Electrophysiological or psychometric abnormalities were not clearly correlated with the duration of IDDM or the degree of short-term metabolic control. These findings give evidence that 1) higher cognitive functions may be affected in diabetes as documented by P300 analysis and short-term memory tests, 2) endogenous electrophysiological analysis highlights neuropsychological changes not detectable by psychometric tests, 3) an alteration of evoked potentials was present in half of the IDDM subjects studied, and 4) anomalies of the CNS are patchily distributed in diabetes.

Acoustic Stimulation↗