An automated test assembly for unidimensional IRT tests containing cognitive diagnostic elements

textLarge-scale assessments are typically administered numerous times per year using parallel test forms. The traditional methods of constructing parallel test forms are based on manually selecting items for given test specifications such as content balancing. This methods are cumbersome, time consuming, and inefficient. To overcome these problems, an automated test assembly has been used successfully in test construction to assemble conventional IRT tests (van der Linden, 1994). However, these conventional large-scale assessments only provide a single summary score that indicates the overall performance level or achievement level of a student in a single learning area. For assessments to be more effective, tests should provide useful diagnostic information in addition to single overall scores. One approach is using a Cognitive Diagnosis modeling. The purpose of this research is to develop an algorithm for generating information-rich tests by combining Cognitive Diagnosis with the traditional IRT approach that not only produce a single score to measure an examinee’s ability level but also provide diagnostic information. This study describes a new method of automated test assembly, which incorporates diagnostic techniques with existing IRT-based testing assembly methods. The purpose of Cognitive Diagnosis modeling is to provide useful information by estimating individual knowledge states by assessing whether an examinee has mastered specific attributes measured by the test (Embretson, 1990; DiBello, Stout, & Rousses, 1995; Tatsuoka, 1995). Attributes are skills or cognitive processes that are required to perform correctly on a particular item. If standardized testing could incorporate assessments of the various attributes constituting the item, then students, parents, and teachers would be able to see where a student stands with respect to mastering the item. Such information could be used to guide the learner toward areas requiring more study. Helping students to identify their intellectual strengths and weaknesses is more informative and instructive than simply giving them a single score that represents their overall ability. By being able to assess where they stand in regard to the attributes that compose an item, students can plan a more effective learning path to be desired proficiency levels. Even though Cognitive Diagnosis has attracted considerable attention from researchers, few studies have described how to assemble a test that conforms to given cognitive criteria. If such a test could be assembled, it would provide more specific identification of the areas where students needs to improve their skills. Also, it would provide diagnostic feedback to teachers, who could then address the specific needs of individual students. In this way, the test becomes an active tool in the educational process rather than just a passive score report. The proposed automated test assembly method and its corresponding computer algorithm will be developed to construct tests automatically from a given item bank while assuring the tests conform to specifications from both conventional IRT scaling and the Cognitive Diagnostic aspects. The method employs the commonly used Zero-One (0/1) Linear Programming Method. This study describes a new method of automated test assembly, which incorporates diagnostic techniques with existing IRT-based testing assembly methods using Maxmin, Minimax, and Maximum Information Methods. A major goal of this research is to identify a set of the most reasonable constraints in Cognitive Diagnosis and to integrate those new constraints into traditional IRT scaling. Most traditional test assembly methods tend to select best test items to form a test under given test specifications, such as content balancing, item difficulties, item formats, reliabilities, test length, and many more (van der Linden, 1998). For this research, a component to deal with Cognitive Diagnosis is added to the current existing automated test assembly method based on IRT. The research described in this dissertation sought to apply and improve available technologies to automate this task and thereby contribute to a new area of educational research. By implementing the Cognitive Diagnostic approach within the traditional standardized test assembly methods, testing specialists will find that using the algorithm introduced in this dissertation might prove useful to test development.Educational Psycholog

Development of an instrument for early detection of dementia in people with Down syndrome

The successful detection of early signs of dementia in people with Down syndrome could form a basis for useful early support and for drug treatment. This report describes the development and preliminary application of an interview and test instrument for the assessment of dementia among people with intellectual disability, as well as a framework for diagnosis that combines the findings of an interview and a test with the diagnostic criteria of ICD-10, DSM-IV and NINCDS-ADRDA. From among the number of tests and interview questions developed, those showing the most significant differences between participants in three groups of differing levels of intellectual disability and estimated dementia were kept. Reported are the assumptions for the items used, descriptions of the process and items used, and the associations of test items with predicting the presence of dementia. The authors conclude that a protocol combining testing and interview has promise and potential for detecting early signs of dementia in this population and could prove feasible for use in practice

From the emotional integration to the cognitive construction: the developmental approach of Turtle Project in children with autism spectrum disorder

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder show a deficit in neurobiological processes. This deficit hinders the development of intentional behavior and appropriate problem-solving, leading the child to implement repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and to have difficulties in reciprocal interactions, empathy and in the development of a theory of mind. The objective of this research is to verify the effectiveness of a relationship-based approach on the positive evolution of autistic symptoms. Method: A sample of 80 children with autism spectrum disorder was monitored during the first four years of therapy, through a clinical diagnostic assessment at the time of intake and then in two follow-up. Results: The results showed that through the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule it is possible to assess the socio-relational key elements on which the therapy is based. There was evidence, in fact, of significant improvements after two and four years of therapy, both for children with severe autistic symptoms and for those in autistic spectrum. Conclusions: Socio-relational aspects represent the primary element on which work in therapy with autistic children and can be considered as indicators of a positive evolution and prognosis that will produce improvements even in the cognitive are

Cognitive conflicts in major depression : Between desired change and personal coherence

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposesThe notion of intrapsychic conflict has been present in psychopathology for more than a century within different theoretical orientations. However, internal conflicts have not received enough empirical attention, nor has their importance in depression been fully elaborated. This study is based on the notion of cognitive conflict, understood as implicative dilemma (ID), and on a new way of identifying these conflicts by means of the Repertory Grid Technique. Our aim was to explore the relevance of cognitive conflicts among depressive patientsPeer reviewedFinal Published versio

Cognitive reserve and AβI-42 in mild cognitive impairment (Argentina-Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative)

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive reserve and concentration of Aβ1-42 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with mild cognitive impairment, those with Alzheimer’s disease, and in control subjects. Methods: Thirty-three participants from the Argentina-Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database completed a cognitive battery, the Cognitive Reserve Questionnaire (CRQ), and an Argentinian accentuation reading test (TAP-BA) as a measure of premorbid intelligence, and underwent lumbar puncture for CSF biomarker quantification. Results: The CRQ significantly correlated with TAP-BA, education, and Aβ1-42. When considering Aβ1-42 levels, significant differences were found in CRQ scores; higher levels of CSF Aβ1-42 were associated with higher CRQ scores. Conclusion: Reduced Aβ1-42 in CSF is considered as evidence of amyloid deposition in the brain. Previous results suggest that individuals with higher education, higher occupational attainment, and participation in leisure activities (cognitive reserve) have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Our results support the notion that enhanced neural activity has a protective role in mild cognitive impairment, as evidenced by higher CSF Aβ1-42 levels in individuals with more cognitive reserve.Fil: Harris, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Suarez, Marcos Fernandez. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Surace, Ezequiel Ignacio. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Chrem Mendez, Patricio Alexis. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Martín, María Eugenia. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Clarens, María Florencia. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Tapajoz Pereira de Sampaio, Fernanda. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Russo, María Julieta. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Campos, Jorge. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Guinjoan, Salvador Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; ArgentinaFil: Allegri, Ricardo Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas "Raúl Carrea"; Argentin

Legal medical consideration of alzheimer’s disease patients’ dysgraphia and cognitive dysfunction: a 6 month follow up

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients to express intentions and desires, and their decision-making capacity. This study examines the findings from a 6-month follow-up of our previous results in which 30 patients participated. Materials and methods: The patient’s cognition was examined by conducting the tests of 14 questions and letter-writing ability over a period of 19 days, and it was repeated after 6 months. The difference between these two cognitive measures (PQ1 before–PQ2 before), tested previously and later the writing test, was designated DΔ before. The test was repeated after 6 months, and PQ1 after–PQ2 after was designated DΔ after. Results: Several markedly strong relationships between dysgraphia and other measures of cognitive performance in AD patients were observed. The most aged patients (over 86 years), despite less frequency, maintain the cognitive capacity manifested in the graphic expressions. A document, written by an AD patient presents an honest expression of the patient’s intention if that document is legible, clear, and comprehensive. Conclusion: The identification of impairment/deficits in writing and cognition during different phases of AD may facilitate the understanding of disease progression and identify the occasions during which the patient may be considered sufficiently lucid to make decisions. Keywords: cognition, intentions, unfit to plead, consen

The words of the body: psychophysiological patterns in dissociative narratives

Trauma has severe consequences on both psychological and somatic levels, even affecting the genetic expression and the cell\u2019s DNA repair ability. A key mechanism in the understanding of clinical disorders deriving from trauma is identified in dissociation, as a primitive defense against the fragmentation of the self originated by overwhelming experiences. The dysregulation of the interpersonal patterns due to the traumatic experience and its detrimental effects on the body are supported by influent neuroscientific models such as Damasio\u2019s somatic markers and Porges\u2019 polyvagal theory. On the basis of these premises, and supported by our previous empirical observations on 40 simulated clinical sessions, we will discuss the longitudinal process of a brief psychodynamic psychotherapy (16 sessions, weekly frequency) with a patient who suffered a relational trauma. The research design consists of the collection of self-report and projective tests, pre-post therapy and after each clinical session, in order to assess personality, empathy, clinical alliance and clinical progress, along with the verbatim analysis of the transcripts trough the Psychotherapy Process Q-Set and the Collaborative Interactions Scale. Furthermore, we collected simultaneous psychophysiological measures of the therapeutic dyad: skin conductance and hearth rate. Lastly, we employed a computerized analysis of non-verbal behaviors to assess synchrony in posture and gestures. These automated measures are able to highlight moments of affective concordance and discordance, allowing for a deep understanding of the mutual regulations between the patient and the therapist. Preliminary results showed that psychophysiological changes in dyadic synchrony, observed in body movements, skin conductance and hearth rate, occurred within sessions during the discussion of traumatic experiences, with levels of attunement that changed in both therapist and the patient depending on the quality of the emotional representation of the experience. These results go in the direction of understanding the relational process in trauma therapy, using an integrative language in which both clinical and neurophysiological knowledge may take advantage of each other