Giovanni Galeoto

Validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Van Lieshout test in an Italian population with cervical spinal cord injury: a psychometric study

Study designPsychometric study.ObjectiveTo assess the reliability and validity of the Italian-translated and adapted version of the Van Lieshout test (VLT) in a population of people with cervical spinal cord injury (C-SCI).SettingMulticenter study in multiple hospitals in Italy.MethodsThe original scale was translated from English to Italian according to international guidelines. The internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and responsiveness of the Italian version of the VLT (IT-VLT) were examined. The IT-VLT was administered to 50 individuals with C-SCI, and its construct and convergent validity were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients with the Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury Measure version III (SCIM III).ResultsAll psychometric properties of the IT-VLT showed significant values, including the Cronbach’s α, which was 0.95 (left hand) and 0.94 (right hand). Furthermore, the test–retest reliability showed an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89, 0.81, and 0.87 for the right hand, left hand, and total value, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient of the IT-VLT and the Italian version of the SCIM III showed all significant results ru2009=u20090.559 (pu2009<u20090.01). The IT-VLT score improved significantly during in-patient rehabilitation In fact the mean (95% CI) change between T0 and T1 was −u200913.2u2009±u200928.6 (−u200921.38; −u20095.10).ConclusionsThe IT-VLT was a reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing hand function in the Italian population with C-SCI. The present study lays the grounds to investigate the psychometric properties of the short version of the IT-VLT.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the “Spinal Cord Injury-Falls Concern Scale” in the Italian population

Study designPsychometrics study.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to develop an Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury-Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS) and examine its reliability and validity.SettingMulticenter study in spinal units in Northern and Southern Italy. The scale also was administered to non-hospitalized outpatient clinic patients.MethodsThe original scale was translated from English to Italian using the “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures” guidelines. The reliability and validity of the culturally adapted scale were assessed following the “Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments” checklist. The SCI-FCS-I internal consistency, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability were examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. Concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient with the Italian version of the short form of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users (WheelCon-M-I-short form).ResultsThe Italian version of the SCI-FCS-I was administered to 124 participants from 1 June to 30 September 2017. The meanu2009±u2009SD of the SCI-FCS-I score was 16.73u2009±u20095.88. All SCI-FCS items were either identical or similar in meaning to the original version’s items. Cronbach’s α was 0.827 (pu2009<u20090.01), the inter-rater reliability was 0.972 (pu2009<u20090.01), and the intra-rater reliability was 0.973 (pu2009<u20090.01). Pearson’s correlation coefficient of the SCI-FCS-I scores with the WheelCon-M-I-short form was 0.56 (pu2009<u20090.01).ConclusionsThe SCI-FCS-I was found to be reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing manual wheelchair concerns about falling in the Italian population.

A Psychometric Properties Evaluation of the Italian Version of the Geriatric Depression Scale

Objective The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is an evaluation tool to diagnose older adults depression. This questionnaire was defined by Yesavage and Brink in 1982; it was designed expressly for the older person and defines his/her degree of satisfaction, quality of life, and feelings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian translation of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-IT). Methods The Italian version of the Geriatric Depression Scale was administered to 119 people (79 people with a depression diagnosis and 40 healthy ones). We examined the following psychometric characteristics: internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity (factor structure). Results Cronbachs Alpha for the GDS-IT administered to the depressed sample was 0.84. Test-retest reliability was 0.91 and the concurrent validity was 0.83. The factorial analysis showed a structure of 5 factors, and the scale cut-off is between 10 and 11. Conclusion The GDS-IT proved to be a reliable and valid questionnaire for the evaluation of depression in an Italian population. In the present study, the GDS-IT showed good psychometric properties. Health professionals now have an assessment tool for the evaluation of depression symptoms in the Italian population.

The psychosocial impact of assistive device scale: Italian validation in a cohort of nonambulant people with neuromotor disorders

ABSTRACT The importance of adaptive seating system on body structure and function is widely accepted, but its impact on psychosocial aspects needs more consideration by health professionals. This article describes the Italian validation of the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Device Scale (IT-PIADS) for non-ambulant people with neuromotor disorders. Once agreement has been given by the original authors, the scale was translated and adapted to the Italian culture. The IT-PIADS was administered to different wheelchairs users with heterogeneous diagnosis. The internal consistency and test–retest reliability were examined. Its concurrent validity was evaluated with the Italian version of the WheelCon-M-SF. The IT-PIADS was administered to 87 subjects. Cronbach’s α was 0.92 (pu2009<u20090.05), and the test–retest reliability (ICC) for competence, adaptability and self-esteem subscales were 0.96, 0.90, 0.93, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient of the IT-PIADS with the WheelCon-M-I-SF scores showed significant data for competence and adaptability subscales. Psychosocial perception on assistive devices can be reliably measure. The IT-PIADS showed good psychometric properties and it is possible to confirm its validity for clinical and research purposes. Nevertheless, before using this measure with greater confidence, further psychometric properties tests of the IT-PIADS are recommended.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test in an Italian Population

Objective. This paper describes the Italian translation and adaptation to the Italian culture of the original version of the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test and conveys the procedure for testing its validity and reliability. Design. The cultural adaptation process and validation were based on data from a group of people with no clinical evidence of disease or impairment of the upper limbs. The process required a forward and reverse translation in its original language. The scale obtained was reviewed by 8 experts in the field of psychometrics dealing with statistical methods that are useful for the behavioral and social sciences. The Italian adapted version of the JTHFT was then produced and validated. Participants. The test was submitted to 320 people with no clinical evidence of disease in order to test its acceptability and consistency. Results. The total time required to perform each subtest was 80.16 ± 43.13 seconds for the nondominant hand (NDH) and 49.97 ± 27.28 seconds for the dominant hand (DH). The internal consistency (assessed with Pearsons r) and the reliability or the construct validity (assessed with Cronbachs alpha) are significative. Conclusions. This is the first study reporting the result of the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation protocols of the JTHFT in Italian. It provides a new tool for Italian professionals to measure the functionality of the hand in participants with various upper limb pathologies.

The Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale: Italian translation, adaptation, and validation of the short form

Abstract Objective: We developed an Italian version of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Users-Short Form (WheelCon-M-I-short form) and examined its reliability and validity. Methods: The original scale was translated from English to Italian using the “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient Reported Outcomes Measures–Principles of Good Practice” guidelines. The WheelCon-M-I-short form was administered to experienced manual wheelchair users who had a variety of diagnoses. Its internal consistency and test–retest reliability were examined. Its concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients with the Italian version of the Wheelchair Outcome Measure (WhOM-I) and the Italian version of the Barthel index (BI). Results: The WheelCon-M-I-short form was administered to 31 subjects. The meanu2009±u2009SD of the WheelCon-M-I-short form score was 7.5u2009±u20091.9. All WheelCon-M-I-short form items were either identical or similar in meaning to the WheelCon-M-short form items. Cronbach’s α for the WheelCon-M-I-short form was 0.95 (pu2009<u20090.01), and the test–retest reliability (ICC) was 0.978 (pu2009<u20090.01). The Pearson correlation coefficient of the WheelCon-M-I-short form scores with the WhOM-I scores was 0.7618 (pu2009<u20090.01). The Pearson correlation coefficient of the WheelCon-M-I-short form scores with the Italian BI scores was 0.638 (pu2009<u20090.01). Conclusions: The WheelCon-M-I-short form was found to be reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing manual wheelchair confidence in the Italian population. Implication for Rehabilitation The WheelCon-M-I-short form is a valid outcome measure available for assessing wheelchair confidence, according to Bandura’s social cognitive theory, self-efficacy is a better predictor of future behavior than skill itself. Translation of the WheelCon-M-short form into the WheelCon-M-I-short form provides a new tool for Italian professionals. Clinicians now have a method to measure this invisible barrier to wheelchair use, and they will be able to make informed decisions when prescribing the use of manual wheelchairs and when training clients in their use. The WheelCon-M-I-short form also provides researchers with a tool in an important and relevant area of study for future research.

The Role of the Occupational Therapist in Disaster Areas: Systematic Review

Background Disasters are increasingly more frequent events on our planet. During disaster the role of the occupational therapist will require a more specific operative framework within nongovernmental organizations and community health services. Design Systematic review. Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the evidence that highlight occupational therapists role in disaster area through a systematic review. Materials and Methods Research on MEDLINE was performed. All articles from 2005 to 2015 concerning rehabilitation and occupational therapy in disaster areas were included. Results Ten studies were selected to be included in this review. Four interesting points emerged: the importance of having rehabilitation intervention in postdisaster situations, the necessity to include a rehabilitation team in the early phase of disaster response, the need to provide a method to address the difficult evacuation, and finding the safest method of transport of people with preexisting disabilities and new injuries. Conclusions The amount of evidence with respect to specific intervention of the occupational therapists role in a disaster situation is limited. However some evidence suggests that it could be a good means for reducing the number of medical complications and deaths of persons with preexisting disabilities. The evidences found highlight the necessity to create a multidisciplinary team addressing needs in disasters situation, in which the occupational therapist could certainly contribute.

Reliability and Validity of the Geriatric Depression Scale in Italian Subjects with Parkinson’s Disease

Introduction The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is commonly used to assess depressive symptoms, but its psychometric properties have never been examined in Italian people with Parkinsons disease (PD). The aim of this study was to study the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the GDS in a sample of PD patients. Methods The GDS was administered to 74 patients with PD in order to study its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct, and discriminant validity. Results The internal consistency of GDS was excellent (αu2009=u20090.903), as well as the test-retest reliability (ICCu2009=u20090.941 [95% CI: 0.886–0.970]). GDS showed a strong correlation with instruments related to the depression (ρu2009=u20090.880) in PD (ρu2009=u20090.712) and a weak correlation with generic measurement instruments (−0.320u2009<u2009ρu2009<−0.217). An area under the curve of 0.892 (95% CI 0.809–0.975) indicated a moderate capability to discriminate depressed patients to nondepressed patient, with a cutoff value between 15 and 16 points that predicts depression (sensitivityu2009=u200987%; specificityu2009=u200982%). Conclusion The GDS is a reliable and valid tool in a sample of Italian PD subjects; this scale can be used in clinical and research contexts.

Quality of life in Parkinson’s disease: Italian validation of the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39-IT)

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) to the Italian culture was performed by Oxford University Innovation in 2008, but this version has never been validated. Therefore, we performed the process of validation of the Italian version of the PDQ-39 (PDQ-39-IT) following the “Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments” checklist. The translated PDQ-39-IT was tested with 104 patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who were recruited between June and October 2017. The mean age of the participants was 65.7u2009±u200910.2xa0years, and the mean duration of symptoms was 7.4u2009±u20095.3xa0years. The internal consistency of the PDQ-39-IT was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha and ranged from 0.69 to 0.92. In an assessment of test-retest reliability in 35 of the 104 patients, the infraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.85 to 0.96 for the various subitems of the PDQ-39-IT (all pu2009<u20090.01). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient for the validity of the PDQ-39-IT and the Italian version of the 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) was −u20090.50 (pu2009<u20090.01). The results show that the PDQ-39-IT is a reliable and valid tool to assess the impact of PD on functioning and well-being. Thus, the PDQ-39-IT can be used in clinical and research practice to assess this construct and to evaluate the overall effect of different treatments in Italian PD patients.

Evaluation of pelvis postural systems in spinal cord injury patients: Outcome research

Objectives Compare three commercially available postural systems to determine the best for treatment of patients suffering from spinal cord injury lesion below the cervical spine. Design Outcome Research. Setting Ambulatory. Participants Thirteen patients were recruited for this study between March 2016 and July 2016 from the Occupational Therapy clinic of “Policlinico Umberto I” hospital in Rome and Occupational Therapy of “CPO” hospital in Ostia. The patient samples consisted of eleven men (84.6%) and two women (15.4%). All the patient are suffering by SCI with a lesion below the cervical spine. Intervention We evaluate postural systems customized by three different companies. Patients tried each pelvis device for a duration of one week, after which they have been asked to fill in questionnaire concerning static stability, temperature, movement adaptability, transfers and dynamical stability during the activities of every-day life. The impact on the health status has been evaluated by means of a further questionnaire (Health Status Scale SF-12) submitted to the patients. Outcome Measures Quality of life and daily life activities. Results The analysis of the data from the questionnaire, along with those of objective nature associated with the mapping of the pressure due to weight distribution, has allowed the selection of the most appropriate clinical solution. Conclusion This study has allowed two significant conclusions: the central role of the interplay between the patient and occupational therapist in the decision role and the clear evidence that patients with spinal cord injury felt definite differences between cushion stability and were able to indicate a specific typology providing the best satisfaction.