The Barthel index: italian translation, adaptation and validation

The Barthel Index (BI) is widely used to measure disability also in Italy, although a validated and culturally adapted Italian version of BI has not been produced yet. This article describes the translation and cultural adaptation into Italian of the original 10-item version of BI, and reports the procedures for testing its validity and reliability. The cultural adaptation and validation process was based on data from a cohort of disabled patients from two different Rehabilitation Centers in Rome, Italy. Forward and backward translation method was adopted by qualified linguist and independent native English official translators. The scale obtained was reviewed by 20 experts in psychometric sciences. The Italian adapted version of the BI was then produced and validated. A total number of 180 patients were submitted to the adapted scale for testing its acceptability and internal consistency. The total time of compilation was 5 ± 2,6 minutes (range 3-10). Validation of the scale was performed by 7 trained professional therapists that submitted both the translated and the adapted versions to a group of 62 clinically stable patients (T-test=-2.051 p=0.05). The internal consistency by Cronbach’s alpha resulted equal to 0.96. Test – retest intra – rater reliability was evaluated on 35 cases; at test-retest was ICC=0.983 (95%IC: 0.967-0.992). This is the first study that reports translation, adaptation and validation of the BI in Italian language. It provides a new tool for professionals to measure functional disability when appraising Italian speaking disable patients in health and social care settings along the continuum of care

Physical activity scale for the elderly: translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Italian version

Objective. The aim of the study was to translate and culturally adapt the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly into Italian (PASE-I) and to evaluate its psychometric properties in the Italian older adults healthy population. Methods. For translation and cultural adaptation, the "Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures" guidelines have been followed. Participants included healthy individuals between 55 and 75 years old. The reliability and validity were assessed following the "Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments" checklist. To evaluate internal consistency and test-retest reliability, Cronbach's α and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were, respectively, calculated. The Berg Balance Score (BBS) and the PASE-I were administered together, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated for validity. Results. All the PASE-I items were identical or similar to the original version. The scale was administered twice within a week to 94 Italian healthy older people. The mean PASE-I score in this study was 159±77.88. Cronbach's α was 0.815 (p < 0.01) and ICC was 0.977 (p < 0.01). The correlation with the BBS was 0.817 (p < 0.01). Conclusions. The PASE-I showed positive results for reliability and validity. This scale will be of great use to clinicians and researchers in evaluating and managing physical activities in the Italian older adults population

The wheelchair use confidence scale: italian translation, adaptation, and validation of the short form

Objective: We developed an Italian version of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Users- Short Form (WheelCon-M-I-short form) and examined its reliability and validity. Methods: The original scale was translated from English to Italian using the “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient Reported Outcomes Measures–Principles of Good Practice” guidelines. The WheelCon-M-I-short form was administered to experienced manual wheelchair users who had a variety of diagnoses. Its internal consistency and test–retest reliability were examined. Its concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients with the Italian version of the Wheelchair Outcome Measure (WhOM-I) and the Italian version of the Barthel index (BI). Results: The WheelCon-M-I-short form was administered to 31 subjects. The mean ± SD of the WheelCon- M-I-short form score was 7.5±1.9. All WheelCon-M-I-short form items were either identical or similar in meaning to the WheelCon-M-short form items. Cronbach’s a for the WheelCon-M-I-short form was 0.95 (p&lt;0.01), and the test–retest reliability (ICC) was 0.978 (p&lt;0.01). The Pearson correlation coefficient of the WheelCon-M-I-short form scores with the WhOM-I scores was 0.7618 (p&lt;0.01). The Pearson correl- ation coefficient of the WheelCon-M-I-short form scores with the Italian BI scores was 0.638 (p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: The WheelCon-M-I-short form was found to be reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing manual wheelchair confidence in the Italian population

Uterine artery Doppler in predicting pregnancy outcome in women with connective tissue disorders

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Multi-disciplinary rehabilitation outcome checklist: italian validation of an instrument for risk of discharge in patients with total hip and/or knee replacement

Object: This article describes the translation and cultural adaptation of the Multi-disciplinary Rehabilitation Outcome Checklist Scale in Italian and reports the procedures to test their validity and reliability. Methods: The forward and backward translation was conducted by specialized and certified translators, independently from each other. The scale was then reviewed by a group of 20 experts. The process of cultural adaptation and validation took place on a cohort of patients who performed a joint replacement of hip and/or knee surgery in two hospitals of Rome. Results: The culturally adapted scale was administered to 114 patients. It results that the interoperator reliability is equal to intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 1⁄4 0.977 for hip and ICC 1⁄4 0.97 for knee. The construct validity and the responsiveness are statistically significant. Conclusion: It is a scale capable of assessing the patient in a comprehensive and multidisciplinary manner at the time of hospital discharge, useful for dismissing the patient in the most appropriate timing and with the best clinical and functional conditions

Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTDS) and Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS) in the Early Identification of Italian Teachers with Voice Disorders

Introduction The current Italian law does not include any guidance regarding voice education, prevention of voice disorders and screening in subjects with high vocal loading such as teachers. Objectives We aimed to check the correlation between the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTDS) with the Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS) for the evaluation of Italian teachers. In addition, we aimed to investigate whether there are differences in the frequency and intensity of discomfort symptoms in teachers with disabilities comparing vocal tract discomfort symptoms in teachers with high risk (HRVD) and low risk (LRVD) of vocal disorders according to the VoiSS cutoff (> 15.5). Methods We analyzed 160 Italian teachers (111 women and 49 men) that completed the VTDS and VoiSS at vocal evaluation. The Spearman correlation test was applied to all variables. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the average number of discomfort symptoms among HRVD and LRVD teachers. Results A moderate positive correlation was observed between the average number, frequency, and intensity of discomfort symptom and the total score, physical domain score, and limitation domain score of the VoiSS. Only the emotional domain score of the VoiSS showed a weak positive correlation ( p < 0.001). Teachers considered in the HRVD group according to the VoiSS score had a higher number, frequency, and intensity of vocal tract discomfort symptoms. Conclusion There is correlation between the VTDS and VoiSS scales. Like the VoiSS, the VTDS is a questionnaire that detects HRVD teachers. Therefore, the results suggest that both questionnaires could be useful for a preventive voice program for Italian teacher

Intervention of Occupational Therapy in patient with Stroke in acute phase: Systematic Review

Objective: The objective of this work was both to fill this gap in the scientific literature, and to evaluate the results of an Occupational Therapy treatment in individuals affected by an acute phase stroke, taking into account Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). Methods: A systematic review was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. Three bibliographic databases were searched, namely MEDLINE, CINAHL and PEDro. The minimal prerequisites included in existing papers on such systematic reviews were: (a) Randomized Controlled Trial, (b) published in English (c) during the last ten years (2006 -2016). Studies were evaluated according to Jadad Score. Results: 12 studies were included. Selected papers showed an average Jadad score of 2,15. Conclusions: The review suggests that so far there is not a more effective treatment in comparison to others; moreover, available studies lack available samples and overall show to have a poor Jadad score. Nevertheless, a number of suggestive results emerged by the study carried out. Occupational therapists shall perform and report higher quality clinical studies as well as an increased evidence level with the aim to build up a trustworthy arsenal of evidence-based interventions for people with acute stroke

Serum levels of IL-6 are associated with cognitive impairment in the salus in apulia population-based study

Growing evidence suggests that inflammation contributes to brain aging and neurodegeneration. This study investigates the relationship between global cognitive as well executive function and the inflammatory markers IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α in a population-based study of older adults. A population-based sample, of older people in Southern Italy, was enrolled. We measured serum levels of IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α. We also administered two neuropsychological tests: Mini-Mental State Examination and Frontal Assessment Battery. Rank-based regression models were performed to investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers and cognitive functions, including major demographic and clinical confounders for adjustment. The sample consisted of 1929 subjects aged between 65 and 95 years. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that higher serum levels of IL-6 were associated with lower MMSE and FAB scores even after adjustment for demographic data and cardiovascular risk factors. No significant associations were found between cognitive functioning and serum levels of CRP and TNF-α. Our results suggest that higher levels of IL-6 were associated with cognitive impairment in an older adult population of Southern Italy

A European study on alcohol and drug use among young drivers : The TEND by night study design and methodology

Background. Young individuals are the age group with the highest risk of car accidents. One of main explanations relies on the use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, illegal and medicinal drugs), which are known to be major risk factors of road accidents, and whose consumption is almost universally more common among younger drivers. Although the correlation between psychoactive substances use and decrease in driving performance has been established in controlled experimental or laboratory settings, few studies were conducted in naturalistic circumstances. The TEND by Night project has been designed to evaluate the relationship between driving performance and psychoactive substances assumption in young drivers enrolled at typical places of consumption. Methods/Design. The TEND by Night project, endorsed by the European Commission, is a multidisciplinary, multi-centric, cross-sectional study conducted in six European countries (Italy, Belgium/Netherlands, Bulgaria, Spain, Poland and Latvia). The study population consists of 5000 young drivers aged 16-34 years, attending recreational sites during weekend nights. The intervention is based on the portal survey technique and includes several steps at the entrance and exit of selected sites, including the administration of semi-structured questionnaires, breath alcohol test, several drug assumption test, and measurement of the reaction time using a driving simulator. The main outcome is the difference in reaction time between the entrance and exit of the recreation site, and its correlation with psychoactive substances use. As a secondary outcome it will be explored the relationship between reaction time difference and the amount of consumption of each substance. All analyses will be multivariate. Discussion. The project methodology should provide some relevant advantages over traditional survey systems. The main strengths of the study include the large and multicentric sample, the objective measurement of substance assumption (which is typically self-reported), the application of a portal survey technique and the simultaneous evaluation of several psychoactive substances.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Il consenso informato in fisioterapia: proposta di una modulistica

Obiettivi: Scopo del lavoro è evidenziare l’esigenza, il dovere e l’obbligo anche per il fisioterapista di ottenere un consenso informato valido del paziente. Materiali e metodi: Gli autori, partendo dai moduli di consenso informato già esistenti per i medici, propongono moduli adattati alle esigenze del fisioterapista, specifici per ogni campo di riabilitazione. Risultati: Siffatte schede di consenso informato possono risultare molto utili ai fisioterapisti per ottemperare agli obblighi di informazione e di ottenimento del consenso e ai pazienti per comprendere appieno il trattamento proposto e aderirvi. Conclusioni: Ne deriva l’importanza di conservarli quale prova al fine di dirimere contenziosi relativi alla non riuscita delle cure ovvero rivendicazioni da parte del paziente