An initial investigation of the reliability and validity of the Compensatory Cognitive Strategies Scale.
Heather Becker, Alexa K Stuifbergen, Ashley Henneghan and 3 others
PMID 28552019WHAT IT FOUND
A new questionnaire asking people with MS how often they use memory, attention, and organization strategies gave similar answers over about 2 months and was related to reported memory strategies, but it has not been tested to improve care.
Key findings
01The authors recommend a 20-item version after four items showed lower discrimination or local dependence.
02Scale scores were stable over approximately 2 months in 47 participants who did not receive the cognitive intervention.
03Higher strategy scores were associated with stronger reported memory-strategy use and with lower perceived cognitive abilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Both samples were convenience samples, so people who took part may differ from the wider MS population. Most participants were female, well educated, and had lived with MS for many years, and the samples were not tested in people diagnosed recently. Sample 1 did not require self-reported cognitive impairment, while Sample 2 was drawn from a cognitive intervention trial of people with self-reported cognitive concerns. The scale was not tested in people with dementia or severe cognitive impairment. The researchers set the significance level for exploratory correlations at p<.10, so weak relationships should be read cautiously. Sensitivity to change was tested only in 43 of 51 participants assigned to the intervention, using a small increase on the total score. The paper reports 245 usable questionnaires returned in Sample 1, but the scale mean is based on 235 respondents. Sample 2 required English reading ability, and the paper does not show generalization to other languages, cultures, or conditions.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the post-intervention score increase as proof that the intervention improved cognition. The scale measures self-reported use of strategies, and the change was preliminary in 43 participants who completed the intervention.