PTOTOtherThe American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association2025

Discriminant Validity of the Electronic Activity Card Sort (ACS3) Among Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury and Multiple Sclerosis.

Amanda Gahlot, Yael Goverover

PMID 40489593

WHAT IT FOUND

Both groups reported significant declines in life participation compared to pre-injury or pre-illness baselines.

Adults with multiple sclerosis retained fewer activities overall and in instrumental daily living and leisure domains than those with traumatic brain injury. Social participation scores did not differ between the groups.

Key findings

01Participants with multiple sclerosis retained significantly fewer activities than those with traumatic brain injury across total scores, instrumental activities of daily living, and leisure domains.

02Both the multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury groups showed statistically significant declines in participation from their pre-injury or pre-illness baselines to their current status across all measured domains.

03Current fitness participation scores were significantly lower in the multiple sclerosis group compared to the traumatic brain injury group.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs

Read the rest of this summary

You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.

Already have one?

What it does not show

The study included only 22 participants, which limits the reliability of the findings. The sample was predominantly female and had above-average education levels, which may not represent the broader population. The two groups differed significantly in time since onset, with the multiple sclerosis group having had their condition for an average of 19 years compared to 12 years for the traumatic brain injury group, which could influence participation patterns and recall. The results rely on retrospective self-reports, which may reflect natural life transitions over time rather than purely condition-related changes. The virtual administration of the ACS3 via Zoom lacks validation compared to the in-person version.

The easy way to misread this

Do not assume the ACS3 is a validated tool for virtual administration. The authors state that while the in-person version is validated, the electronic version used via Zoom in this study lacks validation, which could affect the accuracy of the results.

Read it on PubMed →