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Bockhop F, Greving S, Zeldovich M, Krenz U, Cunitz K, Timmermann D, Kieslich M, Andelic N, Buchheim A, Koerte IK, Roediger M, Brockmann K, Bonfert MV, Berweck S, Lendt M, Staebler M, von Steinbuechel N. Applicability and clinical utility of the German rivermead post-concussion symptoms questionnaire in proxies of children after traumatic brain injury: an instrument validation study. BMC Neurol 2024; 24:133. [PMID: 38641780 PMCID: PMC11027521 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03587-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The German Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) can be used to assess post-concussion symptoms (PCS) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults, adolescents, and children. METHODS In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the German RPQ proxy version (N = 146) for children (8-12 years) after TBI at the item, total and scale score level. Construct validity was analyzed using rank correlations with the proxy-assessed Post-Concussion Symptoms Inventory (PCSI-P), the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7 (GAD-7). Furthermore, sensitivity testing was performed concerning subjects' sociodemographic and injury-related characteristics. Differential item functioning (DIF) was analyzed to assess the comparability of RPQ proxy ratings for children with those for adolescents. RESULTS Good internal consistency was demonstrated regarding Cronbach's α (0.81-0.90) and McDonald's ω (0.84-0.92). The factorial validity of a three-factor model was superior to the original one-factor model. Proxy ratings of the RPQ total and scale scores were strongly correlated with the PCSI-P (ϱ = 0.50-0.69), as well as moderately to strongly correlated with the PHQ-9 (ϱ = 0.49-0.65) and the GAD-7 (ϱ = 0.44-0.64). The DIF analysis revealed no relevant differences between the child and adolescent proxy versions. CONCLUSIONS The German RPQ proxy is a psychometrically reliable and valid instrument for assessing PCS in children after TBI. Therefore, RPQ self- and proxy-ratings can be used to assess PCS in childhood as well as along the lifespan of an individual after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sven Greving
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marina Zeldovich
- Institute of Psychology, University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ugne Krenz
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Cunitz
- Institute of Psychology, University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dagmar Timmermann
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Division of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Kieslich
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Nada Andelic
- Research Centre for Habilitation and Rehabilitation Models and Services (CHARM), Department of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Inga K Koerte
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig‑Maximilians‑Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Mass General Brigham, Bosten, USA
| | - Maike Roediger
- Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine and Neonatology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Knut Brockmann
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michaela V Bonfert
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, LMU Center for Development and Children With Medical Complexity, Ludwig‑Maximilians‑Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Steffen Berweck
- Specialist Center for Paediatric Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Epileptology, Schoen Klinik, Vogtareuth, Germany
| | - Michael Lendt
- Neuropediatrics, St. Mauritius Therapeutic Clinic, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - Michael Staebler
- Neurological Rehabilitation Center for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults, Hegau-Jugendwerk GmbH, Gailingen am Hochrhein, Germany
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Juengst SB, Wright B, DeMello A, Vos L, Biney F, Novelo LL, Williams M. Neurobehavioral Symptom Profiles for the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2024:00001199-990000000-00144. [PMID: 38652671 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify neurobehavioral symptom profiles among persons with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) using the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BAST) and to consider participant characteristics that differ between profile groups. SETTING Community. PARTICIPANTS Participants (n = 615) were English-speaking adults (≥18) and had a self-reported history of at least one TBI of any severity. DESIGN Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data. MAIN MEASURES The BAST measures neurobehavioral symptoms in the domains of Negative Affect, Fatigue, Executive Dysfunction, Impulsivity, and Substance Misuse. RESULTS Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we identified 3 different neurobehavioral profiles. Overall symptom frequency and differences in the pattern of symptom frequency across domains differentiated the profile groups. Average domain scores differed significantly across the profiles (P < .001) for all domains except Fatigue (P = .076). Those in profile 3 (High-Risk group) reported the most frequent symptoms across all domains (similar Negative Affect frequency as profile 1). Substance Misuse was especially high in this group. Compared to profile 2 (High Negative Affect group), participants in profile 1 (Moderate-Risk group) endorsed significantly more frequent (and more variable) symptoms across all BAST domains, particularly Impulsivity and Substance Misuse. Participants in profile 2 endorsed the least frequent symptoms across all domains. Demographic comparison showed that groups differed based on gender, age, and injury severity (mild vs moderate-severe), with profile 3 composed of the most men and the most persons in early adulthood, and profile 2 composed of the most women and those with mild TBI. CONCLUSIONS We differentiated 3 neurobehavioral symptom profiles among persons with chronic TBI and determined differences in sociodemographic factors between the groups. Future research should focus on validating these profiles in another sample of individuals with chronic TBI. Characterizing persons according to multidimensional symptom profiles could allow for more tailored approaches to predict and prevent long-term negative outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon B Juengst
- Author Affiliations: TIRR Memorial Hermann (Dr Juengst), Houston, TX; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Dr Juengst), Department of Biostatistics and Data Science (Dr Novelo), University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Drs Juengst and Wright), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX; School of Nursing (Dr DeMello), University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX; Spectrum Health Medical Group, Neurosciences (Dr Vos), Grand Rapids, MI; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Dr Biney), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; and Department of Psychology (Dr Williams), University of Houston, Houston, TX
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Zeldovich M, Bockhop F, Covic A, Mueller I, Polinder S, Mikolic A, van der Vlegel M, von Steinbuechel N. Factorial validity and comparability of the six translations of the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire translations: results from the CENTER-TBI study. J Patient Rep Outcomes 2023; 7:90. [PMID: 37682406 PMCID: PMC10491569 DOI: 10.1186/s41687-023-00632-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comparison of patient-reported outcomes in multilingual studies requires evidence of the equivalence of translated versions of the questionnaires. The present study examines the factorial validity and comparability of six language versions of the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) administered to individuals following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research (CENTER-TBI) study. METHODS Six competing RPQ models were estimated using data from Dutch (n = 597), English (n = 223), Finnish (n = 213), Italian (n = 268), Norwegian (n = 263), and Spanish (n = 254) language samples recruited six months after injury. To determine whether the same latent construct was measured by the best-fitting model across languages and TBI severity groups (mild/moderate vs. severe), measurement invariance (MI) was tested using a confirmatory factor analysis framework. RESULTS The results did not indicate a violation of the MI assumption. The six RPQ translations were largely comparable across languages and were able to capture the same construct across TBI severity groups. The three-factor solution comprising emotional, cognitive, and somatic factors provided the best fit with the following indices for the total sample: χ2 (101) = 647.04, [Formula: see text]= 6.41, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.995, TLI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.055, CI90%[0.051, 0.059], SRMR = 0.051. CONCLUSION The RPQ can be used in international research and clinical settings, allowing direct comparisons of scores across languages analyzed within the full spectrum of TBI severity. To strengthen the aggregated applicability across languages, further analyses of the utility of the response scale and comparisons between different translations of the RPQ at the item level are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Zeldovich
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Fabian Bockhop
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amra Covic
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Isabelle Mueller
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Suzanne Polinder
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Mikolic
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Rehabilitation Research Program, Centre for Aging SMART at Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marjolein van der Vlegel
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole von Steinbuechel
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Psychometric Properties of the German Version of the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire in Adolescents after Traumatic Brain Injury and Their Proxies. J Clin Med 2022; 12:jcm12010319. [PMID: 36615119 PMCID: PMC9821190 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12010319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) assesses post-concussion symptoms (PCS) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The current study examines the applicability of self-report and proxy versions of the German RPQ in adolescents (13-17 years) after TBI. We investigated reliability and validity on the total and scale score level. Construct validity was investigated by correlations with the Post-Concussion Symptoms Inventory (PCSI-SR13), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and by hypothesis testing regarding individuals' characteristics. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) assessed adolescent-proxy agreement. In total, 148 adolescents after TBI and 147 proxies completed the RPQ. Cronbach's α (0.81-0.91) and McDonald's ω (0.84-0.95) indicated good internal consistency. The three-factor structure outperformed the unidimensional model. The RPQ was strongly correlated with the PCSI-SR13 (self-report: r = 0.80; proxy: r = 0.75) and moderately-strongly with GAD-7 and PHQ-9 (self-report: r = 0.36, r = 0.35; proxy: r = 0.53, r = 0.62). Adolescent-proxy agreement was fair (ICC [2,1] = 0.44, CI95% [0.41, 0.47]). Overall, both self-report and proxy assessment forms of the German RPQ are suitable for application in adolescents after TBI. As proxy ratings tend to underestimate PCS, self-reports are preferable for evaluations. Only if a patient is unable to answer, a proxy should be used as a surrogate.
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Zeldovich M, Bockhop F, Covic A, Cunitz K, Polinder S, Haagsma JA, von Steinbuechel N. Reference Values for the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) from General Population Samples in the United Kingdom, Italy, and The Netherlands. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11164658. [PMID: 36012895 PMCID: PMC9410233 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11164658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
After traumatic brain injury (TBI), individuals may experience short- or long-term health burdens, often referred to as post-concussion symptoms (PCS). The Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) is one of the commonly used instruments to assess self-reported PCS. To date, no reference values for RPQ have been provided, although they are crucial for clinical practice when evaluating a patient’s health status relative to a comparable healthy population. Therefore, the aim of this study is to provide reference values for the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Italy. A total of 11,759 individuals (50.3% women) from representative general population samples participated in an online survey (4646 individuals from the UK, 3564 from the Netherlands, and 3549 from Italy). The factorial structure of the RPQ was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and results from the general population samples were compared with those from respective TBI samples recruited within the international CENTER-TBI study using multigroup CFA. Reference values were stratified by sex, health status, age, and education using percentiles. The three-factorial model outperformed the one-factorial structure. The general population samples were largely comparable to the corresponding TBI samples, except for items such as dizziness, vision, and sensory sensitivity, which can be considered more TBI-specific. Because of the significant differences between the general population samples, we provided reference values for the total score and for the somatic, emotional, and cognitive scales for each country separately. The reference values provided can now be used in clinical practice and research. Future studies should obtain stratified reference values for other countries and languages to improve accuracy in the diagnosis and treatment of symptom burden after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Zeldovich
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 37A, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Fabian Bockhop
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 37A, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amra Covic
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 37A, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Cunitz
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 37A, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Suzanne Polinder
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Juanita A. Haagsma
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole von Steinbuechel
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 37A, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
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