This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vlaar, A M M Articles by Wade, D T Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vlaar, A M M Articles by Wade, D T Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Verbal fluency assessment of patients with multiple sclerosis: test–retest and inter-observer reliability

D T Wade

Oxford Centre for Enablement, Oxford, UK

Objective: To establish the reliability and validity of verbal ‘uency testing in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Design: Each patient was assessed twice 7–14 days apart on a test of phonological ‘uency and again 7–14 days later when half of the patients were assessed for phonological ‘uency by a second assessor while the other half was assessed by the first assessor using a test of semantic ‘uency.

Setting: A specialist young disabled unit.

Subjects: Thirty-five patients with multiple sclerosis.

Measures: Phonological ‘uency (PF) was tested giving the patient 60 seconds to generate words starting with ‘F’ ‘A’ and ‘S’; semantic ‘uency (SF) with names of animals and fruits. Also used were the Short Orientation–Memory–Concentration Test and the Barthel ADL Index.

Results: On the first occasion 31/35 patients could be tested, and the average (SD) score of the PF was 21.9 (12.1), median 18. The test–retest reliability (n = 30/35) of the PF was good (Pearson r = 0.85). The score difference between the first two occasions ranged from +17 to –15 (median –3, mean –2.9, SD 6.7). The inter-observer reliability (n = 13/16) of the PF was good (Pearson r = 0.90). The difference of the score between the two assessors ranged from –9 to +6 (median 0, mean –1.2, SD 4.9). The correlation (Pearson) of the PF score with the SF, Barthel and SOMC was respectively r = 0.59, r = 0.27 and r = 0.63.

Conclusions: Phonological ‘uency testing is reliable in people with MS.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?