The reliability and validity of the Complex Task Performance Assessment: A performance-based assessment of executive function.
Timothy J Wolf, Abigail Dahl, Colleen Auen and 1 others
PMID 25939359WHAT IT FOUND
The CTPA library task distinguished adults with mild stroke and executive dysfunction from controls, and two raters agreed closely.
Repeating it after one week improved scores, so it is not dependable as a change measure.
Key findings
01The CTPA total score and three sub-scores differed significantly between community controls and adults with mild stroke who had documented executive dysfunction.
02One week later, controls repeated the CTPA and improved by 5 points, from 11.4 to 6.4, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.475, below the 0.80 threshold.
03The live examiner and an independent video rater showed very high agreement on CTPA scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included 34 participants, 20 controls and 14 adults with mild stroke, so the findings are narrow. The control group was younger, mean age 39.05 years, and had higher WTAR scores, mean 112.15, than the stroke group, and the authors note these factors could have influenced results. Repeating the CTPA after one week improved scores, and test-retest reliability was 0.475, below the 0.80 threshold, so it is not stable as a change measure. Only adults with mild stroke who had documented executive dysfunction and estimated intelligence scores of at least 85 were tested, so the results may not apply to more severe stroke or lower estimated intelligence. The study did not evaluate alternate forms, sensitivity, specificity, or whether the CTPA works as a treatment outcome measure.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the CTPA can be used to measure treatment change because it separated adults with mild stroke from controls. Repeating it after one week improved scores, and test-retest reliability was 0.475, below the 0.80 threshold.