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Friedreich's ataxia impact scale: A new measure striving to provide the flexibility required by today's studies
Author(s) -
Cano Stefan J.,
Riazi Afsane,
Schapira Anthony H.V.,
Cooper J. Mark,
Hobart Jeremy C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.22420
Subject(s) - rasch model , construct (python library) , psychology , rating scale , scale (ratio) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , ataxia , flexibility (engineering) , construct validity , psychometrics , mood , rehabilitation , applied psychology , measure (data warehouse) , cognitive psychology , clinical psychology , physical therapy , developmental psychology , computer science , psychiatry , medicine , data mining , statistics , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , programming language
To develop, using modern techniques of rating scale construction, a new patient reported rating scale for clinical studies of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) that strives to meet the measurement needs of different types of study. Qualitative research methods were used to generate a conceptual framework of the impact of FA, and a pool of items necessary to construct a subscale for each area identified. This item pool was then administered to 492 people with FA. Rasch measurement methods guided scale construction. Eight areas for measurement were identified (speech, upper limb functioning, lower limb functioning, body movement, complex tasks, isolation, mood, self perceptions), and a 126‐item scale constructed (FA Impact Scale; FAIS). In addition, three shorter versions were developed to illustrate how the FAIS can be adapted for observational studies, more disabled, and less disabled samples of people with FA. The FAIS is a psychometrically sound 126‐item measure from which subsets of items can be selected to meet the needs of different studies. Importantly, all versions can be referred back to the original scale. This study shows one of the many clinical advantages of using Rasch measurement methods to construct rating scales. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society