Rasch analysis of fatigue severity scale in patients with epilepsy.

Objective: To utilize the Rasch model to validate and assess the psychometric properties of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) in patients with epilepsy.

Methods: A total of 307 patients (age > 18 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy were consented to participate. Exclusion criteria included patients with psychogenic nonepileptic events, cognitive disabilities, and patients who did not speak/understand English.

Superior Verbal Memory Outcome After Stereotactic Laser Amygdalohippocampotomy.

To evaluate declarative memory outcomes in medically refractory epilepsy patients who underwent either a highly selective laser ablation of the amygdalohippocampal complex or a conventional open temporal lobe resection. Post-operative change scores were examined for verbal memory outcome in epilepsy patients who underwent stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH: = 40) or open resection procedures ( = 40) using both reliable change index (RCI) scores and a 1-SD change metric. Using RCI scores, patients undergoing open resection (12/40, 30.

CVLT-3 response bias as an indicator of performance validity in a litigating population.

This study examined the efficacy of CVLT-3 response bias (i.e., parametric and nonparametric response bias) indices in differentiating between a clinical sample with traumatic brain injury and a litigating sample with poor performance validity.

Lacosamide serum concentrations during pregnancy.

Still considered a new ASD, teratogenicity from lacosamide (LCM) exposure during pregnancy is unknown. LCM metabolism through several cytochrome P450 enzymes and minor glucuronidation metabolism in the liver may increase during pregnancy and theoretically lead to lower LCM levels during pregnancy and the risk of increased seizures. Our objective was to determine the impact of pregnancy on serum LCM levels in a series of women with epilepsy (WWE).

Predictive Outcome Modeling of Preoperative Clinical Symptoms and Electrodiagnostic Data in Tarsal Tunnel Surgery.

 The relationship between tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS), electrodiagnostic (Edx) findings, and surgical outcome is unknown. Analysis of TTS surgical release outcome patient satisfaction and comparison to Edx nerve conduction studies (NCSs) is important to improve outcome prediction when deciding who would benefit from TTS release.  Retrospective study of 90 patients over 7 years that had tarsal tunnel (TT) release surgery with outcome rating and preoperative tibial NCS.

Withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs after stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective: This retrospective study investigated the success rate of withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) following stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH) for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), and identified predictors of seizure recurrence.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively assessed 65 patients who underwent SLAH for MTLE (59 lesional). Patients' demographics, disease characteristics and post-surgical outcomes were evaluated for their potential to predict seizure recurrence associated with withdrawal of AEDs.

The Template for Intervention Description and Replication as a Measure of Intervention Reporting Quality: Rasch Analysis.

Objective: To determine whether the 12 items of the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) can be combined into a single summary score reflecting intervention reporting completeness and quality.

Design: Systematic review and reanalysis of published data. After a systematic search of the published literature, 16 review articles were retrieved with 489 sets of 12 TIDieR ratings of experimental intervention, comparator, or the 2 combined as reported in primary studies.

What Determines the Quality of Rehabilitation Clinical Practice Guidelines?: An Overview Study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine what factors determine the quality of rehabilitation clinical practice guidelines.

Design: Six databases were searched for articles that had applied the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II quality assessment tool to rehabilitation clinical practice guidelines. The 573 deduplicated abstracts were independently screened by two authors, resulting in 81 articles, the full texts of which were independently screened by two authors for Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II application to rehabilitation clinical practice guidelines, resulting in a final selection of 40 reviews appraising 504 clinical practice guidelines.

Frequency of Electrodiagnostically Measurable Berrettini Anastomosis.

Purpose: Ulnar sensory palmar crossover to digit three (D3), the Berrettini anastomosis, is measurable in routine electrodiagnostic nerve conduction studies. The crossover is reported as occurring in 60% of anatomic dissections, but the frequency of measurable ulnar crossover to D3 and its potential as a nerve conduction pitfall is not established. The purpose of this article was to present descriptive statistics regarding the frequency of measurable Berrettini anastomosis in nerve conduction studies.

Outcomes after Concussion Recovery Education: Effects of Litigation and Disability Status on Maintenance of Symptoms.

This study examined the hypothesis that people who receive concussion recovery education would have better outcomes than those who received usual discharge paperwork from the emergency department (ED) and tested whether participants who were in litigation or seeking disability compensation had more symptoms than individuals not engaged in these activities. Two hundred and fifty-five persons with a diagnosis of concussion were assigned randomly to a brief education group (one-page double-sided document), a longer education group (10-page document), and usual care (standard ED discharge instructions), and were these documents in the ED. A (non-concussion) trauma comparison group was enrolled to determine the symptom rate unrelated to brain injury.

Cognitive Log performance among individuals without brain injury in an inpatient rehabilitation setting.

Purpose/objective: Despite the widespread use of the Cognitive Log, information regarding normative performance is only available in individuals with known brain injury and in healthy college students. The purpose of the current research is to provide information about Cognitive Log performance in a regional group of rehabilitation patients without history of brain injury. Secondarily, non-neurological factors that may predict performance are considered.

Social Competence Treatment After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial of Interactive Group Treatment Versus Noninteractive Treatment.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a replicable group treatment program for improving social competence after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design: Multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing 2 methods of conducting a social competency skills program, an interactive group format versus a classroom lecture.

Setting: Community and veteran rehabilitation centers.

A Chemical-Biological-Radio-Nuclear (CBRN) Filter can be Added to the Air-Outflow Port of a Ventilator to Protect a Home Ventilated Patient From Inhalation of Toxic Industrial Compounds.

Objectives: Chemical-biological-radio-nuclear (CBRN) gas masks are the standard means for protecting the general population from inhalation of toxic industrial compounds (TICs), for example after industrial accidents or terrorist attacks. However, such gas masks would not protect patients on home mechanical ventilation, as ventilator airflow would bypass the CBRN filter. We therefore evaluated in vivo the safety of adding a standard-issue CBRN filter to the air-outflow port of a home ventilator, as a method for providing TIC protection to such patients.

Safety and effectiveness of high-dose, weight-based factor VIII inhibitor bypassing activity for warfarin-induced life-threatening bleeding.

: Previous studies suggest low, fixed-dose regimens of activated prothrombin complex concentrate [factor VIII inhibitor bypassing activity (FEIBA); 500 U for international normalized ratio (INR) < 5; 1000 U for INR > 5] is effective for reversal of warfarin-induced life-threatening bleeds. Little data are available on the use of high-dose, weight-based FEIBA for this indication. The objective of this study was to evaluate effectiveness and safety of high-dose, weight-based FEIBA (50 U/kg) vs.

Predictors of readmission to acute care during inpatient rehabilitation for non-traumatic spinal cord injury.

Objectives: To investigate the frequency of and reasons for readmissions to acute care (RTAC) during inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) after non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NT-SCI). To develop a predictive model for RTAC using identified risk factors.

Design: Retrospective case-control.

Emergency department visits in patients with low acuity conditions: Factors associated with resource utilization.

Objectives: To identify health beliefs of emergency department (ED) patients with low acuity conditions and how these affect ambulance (AMB) utilization.

Methods: We performed a prospective, observational study on a convenience sample of patients 18years or older, who presented to the ED of an urban, academic hospital with an Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage level of 4 or 5. Demographics, treatment, and disposition data were obtained along with self-administered surveys.

Blood pressure variability as an indicator of sepsis severity in adult emergency department patients.

Study Objective: Quantify the correlation between blood pressure variability (BPV) and markers of illness severity: serum lactate (LAC) or Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of data from a prospective, observational study evaluating fluid resuscitation on adult, septic, ED patients. Vital signs and fluid infusion volumes were recorded every 15min during the 3h following ED arrival.

Use of nitroglycerin by bolus prevents intensive care unit admission in patients with acute hypertensive heart failure.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare health care resource utilization among patients who were given intravenous nitroglycerin for acute heart failure (AHF) in the emergency department (ED) by intermittent bolus, continuous infusion, or a combination of both.

Methods: We retrospectively identified 395 patients that received nitroglycerin therapy in the ED for the treatment of AHF over a 5-year period. Patients that received intermittent bolus (n=124) were compared with continuous infusion therapy (n=182) and combination therapy of bolus and infusion (n=89).

Prevalence of below-criterion Reliable Digit Span scores in a clinical sample of older adults.

Objective: The Reliable Digit Span (RDS) is a well-validated embedded indicator of performance validity. An RDS score of ≤7 is commonly referenced as indicative of invalid performance; however, few studies have examined the classification accuracy of the RDS among individuals suspected for dementia. The current study evaluated performance of the RDS in a clinical sample of 934 non-litigating individuals presenting to an outpatient memory disorders clinic for assessment of dementia.

Correlates of resilience in the first 5 years after traumatic brain injury.

Purpose/objective: To examine resilience in the context of adjustment to traumatic brain injury (TBI), including the relative roles of demographic and theoretically related constructs such as coping, social support, and positive affectivity on resilience within the first 5 years postinjury.

Research Method/design: This was a cross-sectional, observational study of 67 persons with medically documented mild complicated to severe TBI. Participants completed a battery of measures including cognitive tests; questionnaires assessing self-report of emotional symptoms, perceived social support, and coping style; and a measure of resilience.

Reply to commentary by Bilder, Sugar, and Helleman (2014 this issue) on minimizing false positive error with multiple performance validity tests.

Bilder, Sugar, and Helleman (2014 this issue) have criticized recent publications on performance validity test (PVT) failure in clinical samples. Bilder and colleagues appear to make an idiosyncratic interpretation of recent research and inconsistently apply principles of null hypothesis significance testing. Overall, their position seems to propose that PVTs should be held to a higher psychometric standard than conventional neuropsychological tests.

Rasch analysis of the coping inventory for stressful situations in individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To evaluate psychometric properties of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design: Archival study using Rasch analysis.

Setting: Postacute rehabilitation hospital.

Intent to fail: significance testing of forced choice test results.

A score that is significantly below the level of chance on a forced choice (FC) performance validity test results from the deliberate production of wrong answers. In order to increase the power of significance testing of a below chance result on standardized FC tests with empirically derived cutoff scores, we recommend using one-tailed tests of significance and selecting probability levels greater than .05 (.