scholarly journals Shape Analysis of the Human Association Pathways

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang-Cheng Yeh
Keyword(s):  
Shape Analysis ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus ◽  
Function Correlation ◽  
Frontal Aslant Tract ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Human Association ◽  
Shape Metrics

AbstractShape analysis has been widely used in digital image processing and computer vision, but they have not been utilized to compare the structural characteristics of the human association pathways. Here we used shape analysis to derive length, area, volume, and shape metrics from diffusion MRI tractography and utilized them to study the morphology of human association pathways. The reliability analysis showed that shape descriptors achieved moderate to good test-retest reliability. Further analysis on association pathways showed left dominance in the arcuate fasciculus, cingulum, uncinate fasciculus, frontal aslant tract, and right dominance in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. The superior longitudinal fasciculus has a mixed lateralization profile with different metrics showing either left or right dominance. The analysis of between-subject variations shows that the overall layout of the association pathways does not variate a lot across subjects, as shown by low between-subject variation in length, span, diameter, and radius. In contrast, the area of the pathway innervation region has a considerable between-subject variation. A follow-up analysis is warranted to thoroughly investigate the nature of population variations and their structure-function correlation.

Screening for Neurocognitive Impairment in Pediatric Cancer Long-Term Survivors

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (25) ◽  
pp. 4138-4143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin R. Krull ◽  
M. Fatih Okcu ◽  
Brian Potter ◽  
Neelam Jain ◽  
ZoAnn Dreyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Parent Rating ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Validity Data ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Purpose Recent studies suggest that up to 40% of childhood cancer survivors may experience neurocognitive problems, a finding that has led the Children's Oncology Group to recommend regular evaluation. However, for a variety of reasons, including costs, time restraints, health insurance, and access to professional resources, these guidelines are often difficult to implement. We report reliability and validity data on a brief neurocognitive screening method that could be used to routinely screen patients in need of comprehensive follow-up. Patients and Methods Two hundred forty consecutive patients were screened during their annual visits to a long-term survivor clinic using standard neurocognitive measures and brief parent rating. From this total, 48 patients had a second screening, and 52 patients had a comprehensive follow-up evaluation. Test-retest reliability and predictive and discriminative validity were examined. Results Good test-retest reliability was demonstrated, with an overall r = 0.72 and all individual subtest correlations greater than r = 0.40. Although means tended to improve from first to second testing, no significant changes were detected (all P > .10). The screen accurately predicted global intellect (F6,45 = 11.81, P < .0001), reading skills (F6,45 = 4.74, P < .001), and mathematics (F6,45 = 3.35, P < .008). Parent rating was a marginal indicator of global intellect only. Conclusion The brief neurocognitive screening was a better predictor of child functioning than specific parent rating. This brief measure, which can be completed in 30 minutes, is a practical and reliable method to identify cancer survivors in need of further neurocognitive follow-up.

scholarly journals Symptom-Dependent Changes in MEG-Derived Neuroelectric Brain Activity in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients with Chronic Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Don Krieger ◽  
Paul Shepard ◽  
Ryan Soose ◽  
Ava M. Puccio ◽  
Sue Beers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Neuroelectric measures derived from human magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings hold promise as aides to diagnosis and treatment monitoring and targeting for chronic sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study tests novel MEG-derived regional brain measures of tonic neuroelectric activation for long-term test-retest reliability and sensitivity to symptoms. Resting state MEG recordings were obtained from a normative cohort, Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (CamCAN), baseline: n = 619; mean 16-month follow-up: n = 253) and a chronic symptomatic TBI cohort, Targeted Evaluation, Action and Monitoring of Traumatic Brain Injury (TEAM-TBI), baseline: n = 64; mean 6-month follow-up: n = 39). For the CamCAN cohort, MEG-derived neuroelectric measures showed good long-term test-retest reliability for most of the 103 automatically identified stereotypic regions. The TEAM-TBI cohort was screened for depression, somatization, and anxiety with the Brief Symptom Inventory and for insomnia with the Insomnia Severity Index. Linear classifiers constructed from the 103 regional measures from each TEAM-TBI cohort member distinguished those with and without each symptom, with p < 0.01 for each—i.e., the tonic regional neuroelectric measures of activation are sensitive to the presence/absence of these symptoms. The novel regional MEG-derived neuroelectric measures obtained and tested in this study demonstrate the necessary and sufficient properties to be clinically useful—i.e., good test-retest reliability, sensitivity to symptoms in each individual, and obtainable using automatic processing without human judgement or intervention.

scholarly journals E-Cigarette Demand: Impact of Commodity Definitions and Test–Retest Reliability

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin C Strickland ◽  
Olga A Vsevolozhskaya ◽  
William W Stoops
Keyword(s):  
Effect Size ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Cigarette Demand ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Human Participants ◽  
Puff Intensity ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Abstract Introduction Behavioral economic demand provides a multidimensional understanding of reinforcement. Commodity purchase tasks are an efficient method for measuring demand in human participants. One challenge in translating these procedures to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS or e-cigarettes) is defining commodity units given the lack of standardization in the e-cigarette marketplace. Aims and Methods The purpose of this study was to directly compare methods of operationalizinge-cigarette purchases, puffs, cartridges, and mLs liquid, using a within-subject design. Participants (N = 132) reporting past week e-cigarette use were recruited using crowdsourcing. Purchase tasks were completed operationalizing e-cigarette units as puffs or cartridges at baseline and puffs or mLs liquid at a 3-month follow-up. Results Bivariate associations supported convergent and discriminant validity with the largest effect size correlations for intensity and elasticity observed for the puff version. Interaction models suggested that product preferences moderated the relationship between time-to-first use and cartridge demand with larger effect size correlations among persons reporting a preference for JUULs, but weaker relationships among persons reporting other device preferences. Puff intensity (rxx = .61) and elasticity (rxx = .62) showed good test–retest reliability for participants reporting stable consumption, but poor test–retest reliability for individuals with changed consumption levels (intensity rxx = −.08; elasticity rxx = −.10). Conclusions This study highlights the relevance of commodity definitions in the e-cigarette purchase task. Puffs as an experimental commodity may provide flexibility for studying e-cigarette demand in heterogenous or unknown populations, whereas more tailored or personalized approaches like cartridge or mL-based tasks will likely be helpful when studying known subgroups. Implications The commodity purchase task procedure is widely used for understanding cigarette and e-cigarette demand in nicotine dependence research. This study evaluates the importance of operational definitions of e-cigarette commodities in the purchase task (ie, puffs, cartridges, or mLs liquid). Puffs may provide a more flexible commodity unit when evaluating e-cigarette demand in general or heterogenous populations, whereas device-specific units may prove more valuable when studying populations with consistent and known product use.

scholarly journals The Prototypes of Tobacco Users Scale (POTUS) for Cigarette Smoking and E-Cigarette Use: Development and Validation

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6081
Author(s):  
Eboneé N. Butler ◽  
Marissa G. Hall ◽  
May S. Chen ◽  
Jessica K. Pepper ◽  
Hart Blanton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Internal Consistency Reliability ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Cigarette Smokers ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Quit Attempt ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Endorsing prototypes of cigarette smokers predicts cigarette smoking, but less is known about prototypes of users of other tobacco products. Our study sought to establish the reliability and validity of a measure of prototypes of smokers and e-cigarette users. Participants were from a national survey of smokers and non-smokers (n = 1414), a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of adult smokers (n = 2149), and adolescent children of adults in the trial (n = 112). The Prototypes of Tobacco Users Scale (POTUS) has four positive adjectives (cool, sexy, smart, and healthy) and four negative adjectives (disgusting, unattractive, immature, and inconsiderate) describing cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users. Confirmatory factor analyses identified a two-factor solution. The POTUS demonstrated strong internal consistency reliability in all three samples (median α = 0.85) and good test–retest reliability among adults in the RCT (median r = 0.61, 1–4 weeks follow-up). In the RCT, smokers more often agreed with negative prototypes for smokers than for e-cigarette users (mean = 2.03 vs. 1.67, p < 0.05); negative prototypes at baseline were also associated with more forgoing of cigarettes and making a quit attempt at the end of the trial (Week 4 follow-up). The POTUS may be useful to public health researchers seeking to design interventions that reduce tobacco initiation or cessation through the manipulation of tobacco user prototypes.

scholarly journals MEG-Derived Symptom-Sensitive Biomarkers with Long-Term Test-Retest Reliability

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Don Krieger ◽  
Paul Shepard ◽  
Ryan Soose ◽  
Ava Puccio ◽  
Sue Beers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Linear Classifiers ◽  
Clinical Syndromes ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Neuroelectric measures derived from human magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings hold promise as aides to diagnosis and treatment monitoring and targeting for chronic sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study tests novel MEG-derived regional brain measures of tonic neuroelectric activation for long-term test-retest reliability and sensitivity to symptoms. Resting state MEG recordings were obtained from a normative cohort (CamCAN, baseline: n = 613; mean 16-month follow-up: n = 245) and a chronic symptomatic TBI cohort (TEAM-TBI, baseline: n = 62; mean 6-month follow-up: n = 40). The MEG-derived neuroelectric measures were corrected for the empty-room contribution using a random forest classifier. The mean 16-month correlation between baseline and 16-month follow-up CamCAN measures was 0.67; test-retest reliability was markedly improved in this study compared with previous work. The TEAM-TBI cohort was screened for depression, somatization, and anxiety with the Brief Symptom Inventory and for insomnia with the Insomnia Severity Index and was assessed via adjudication for six clinical syndromes: chronic pain, psychological health, and oculomotor, vestibular, cognitive, and sleep dysfunction. Linear classifiers constructed from the 136 regional measures from each TEAM-TBI cohort member distinguished those with and without each symptom, p < 0.0003 for each, i.e., the tonic regional neuroelectric measures of activation are sensitive to the presence/absence of these symptoms and clinical syndromes. The novel regional MEG-derived neuroelectric measures obtained and tested in this study demonstrate the necessary and sufficient properties to be clinically useful, i.e., good test-retest reliability, sensitivity to symptoms in each individual, and obtainable using automatic processing without human judgement or intervention.

Test–Retest Reliability of Social Cognition Screening Questionnaire–Taiwan Version in People With Schizophrenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512500023p1-7512500023p1
Author(s):  
Shu-Chun Lee ◽  
Yi-Ching Wu ◽  
David Leland Roberts ◽  
Kuang-Pei Tseng ◽  
Wen-Yin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Random Measurement Error ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Screening Questionnaire ◽  
The Core ◽  
Random Measurement ◽  
The Social ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Multiple Domains

Abstract Date Presented 04/19/21 The Social Cognition Screening Questionnaire–Taiwan version (SCSQT) was designed to assess multiple domains of social cognition in people with schizophrenia in Taiwan. The SCSQT contains five subscales and provides estimates of the core domains of mentalizing and social perception and an overall social cognition score. Our validation of SCSQT indicated that the SCSQT had good test–retest reliability, acceptable random measurement error, and negligible practice effects. Primary Author and Speaker: Shu-Chun Lee Additional Authors and Speakers: Trudy Mallinson Contributing Authors: Alison M. Cogan, Ann Guernon, Katherine O'Brien, and Piper Hansen

Developing a measure to assess clinicians’ ability to reflect on key staff–patient dynamics in forensic settings

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Polnay ◽  
Helen Walker ◽  
Christopher Gallacher
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Face Validity ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Purpose Relational dynamics between patients and staff in forensic settings can be complicated and demanding for both sides. Reflective practice groups (RPGs) bring clinicians together to reflect on these dynamics. To date, evaluation of RPGs has lacked quantitative focus and a suitable quantitative tool. Therefore, a self-report tool was designed. This paper aims to pilot The Relational Aspects of CarE (TRACE) scale with clinicians in a high-secure hospital and investigate its psychometric properties. Design/methodology/approach A multi-professional sample of 80 clinicians were recruited, completing TRACE and attitudes to personality disorder questionnaire (APDQ). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) determined factor structure and internal consistency of TRACE. A subset was selected to measure test–retest reliability. TRACE was cross-validated against the APDQ. Findings EFA found five factors underlying the 20 TRACE items: “awareness of common responses,” “discussing and normalising feelings;” “utilising feelings,” “wish to care” and “awareness of complicated affects.” This factor structure is complex, but items clustered logically to key areas originally used to generate items. Internal consistency (α = 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.55–0.76) demonstrated borderline acceptability. TRACE demonstrated good test–retest reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.78–0.98) and face validity. TRACE indicated a slight negative correlation with APDQ. A larger data set is needed to substantiate these preliminary findings. Practical implications Early indications suggested TRACE was valid and reliable, suitable to measure the effectiveness of reflective practice. Originality/value The TRACE was a distinctive measure that filled a methodological gap in the literature.

Developing a Cantonese Version of Birmingham Cognitive Screen for Stroke Survivors in Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Pak-Hin Kong ◽  
John Chan ◽  
Johnny King-L. Lau ◽  
Wai-Ling Bickerton ◽  
Brendan Weekes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Brain Injuries ◽  
Neuropsychological Battery ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
Cognitive Screen ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
State Examination

The Birmingham Cognitive Screen (BCoS) is a neuropsychological battery designed to assess impairment to a variety of cognitive domains including language in patients with brain injuries. Twenty-two stroke participants and 16 gender-, age-, and education-matched controls were recruited in Hong Kong. The stroke participants were administered HK-BCoS as well as standardized batteries of cognitive and language functions validated for the Cantonese-speaking population in Hong Kong, including the Cantonese version of the Western Aphasia Battery, Cantonese Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Hong Kong–Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Results showed that HK-BCoS demonstrated good concurrent validity with all standardized batteries. HK-BCoS could discriminate between cognitive impairments in stroke patients and normal participants. Furthermore, HK-BCoS was found to have excellent intrarater and interrater reliabilities, good test–retest reliability, and fair split-half reliability as judged according to international criteria. In sum, HK-BCoS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing cognitive processing in Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong.

scholarly journals Development and psychometric properties of the Glasgow Depression Scale for people with a Learning Disability

2003 ◽  
Vol 182 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona M. Cuthill ◽  
Colin A. Espie ◽  
Sally-Anne Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Criterion Validation ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Assessment Scales ◽  
Monitoring Progress ◽  
Report Measure

BackgroundThere is no reliable and valid self-report measure of depressive symptoms for people with learning disabilities.AimsTo develop a scale for individuals with learning disability, and a supplementary scale for carers.MethodItems were generated from a range of assessment scales and through focus groups. A draft scale was piloted and field tested using matched groups of people with or without depression, and their carers. The scale was also administered to a group without learning disabilities for criterion validation.ResultsThe Glasgow Depression Scale for people with a Learning Disability (GDS–LD) differentiated depression and non-depression groups, correlated with the Beck Depression Inventory – II (r=0.88), had good test – retest reliability (r=0.97) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.90), and a cut-off score (13) yielded 96% sensitivity and 90% specificity. The Carer Supplement was also reliable (r=0.98; α=0.88), correlating with the GDS–LD (r=0.93).ConclusionsBoth scales appear useful for screening, monitoring progress and contributing to outcome appraisal.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document