The Need for a Specialized Neurocognitive Screen and Consistent Cognitive Impairment Criteria in Spinal Cord Injury: Analysis of the Suitability of the Neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Bamini Gopinath¹  Yvonne Tran¹  James W. Middleton²  Ilaria Pozzato²  Grahame Simpson²  Danielle Sandalic²  Ashley Craig²  Mohit Arora²  Sachin Shetty³  Lisa Benad⁴  Jasbeer Kaur⁴  Gerard Weber⁵ 

[1] Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia;John Walsh Centre Rehabilitation Research, The Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia;SCI Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia;SCI Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia;SCI Unit, Royal Rehab, Ryde, NSW 2112, Australia;

关键词: spinal cord injury;    neurocognitive function;    mild cognitive impairment;    executive function;    memory;    attention;   

DOI  :  10.3390/jcm11123344

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The assessment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) following spinal cord injury (SCI) is vital. However, there are no neurocognitive screens which have been developed specifically to meet the unique requirements for SCI, nor are there consistent MCI criteria applied to determine the rates of MCI. The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of a neurocognitive screen for assessing MCI in adults with SCI. A total of 127 participants were recruited. Socio-demographic and injury related variables were assessed. All participants completed the screen. Descriptive statistics are provided for total/domain screen scores and all items, and the screen’s ability to distinguish MCI was examined. Congeneric confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were employed to investigate structural validity. The screen total score was sensitive to differences in neurocognitive capacity, as well as for time since the injury occurred (p < 0.01). The MCI rate ranged between 17–36%. CFA revealed attention and visuoconstruction domains had an adequate model fit and executive function had poor fit, while CFA models for memory and language did not fit the data (did not converge), hence could not be determined. While the screen differentiated between those with MCI and those without, and MCI as a function of time since injury, limitations of its suitability for assessing MCI after SCI exist, demonstrating the need for a specialized neurocognitive screen for adults with SCI.

【 授权许可】

Unknown