Verbal fluency assessment of patients with multiple sclerosis: test-retest and inter-observer reliability.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the reliability and validity of verbal fluency testing in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).


METHODS
Each patient was assessed twice 7-14 days apart on a test of phonological fluency and again 7-14 days later when half of the patients were assessed for phonological fluency by a second assessor while the other half was assessed by the first assessor using a test of semantic fluency.


METHODS
A specialist young disabled unit.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients with multiple sclerosis.


METHODS
Phonological fluency (PF) was tested giving the patient 60 seconds to generate words starting with 'F' 'A' and 'S'; semantic fluency (SF) with names of animals and fruits. Also used were the Short Orientation-Memory-Concentration Test and the Barthel ADL Index.


RESULTS
On the first occasion 31/35 patients could be tested, and the average (SD) score of the PF was 21.9 (12.1), median 18. The test-retest reliability (n = 30/35) of the PF was good (Pearson r = 0.85). The score difference between the first two occasions ranged from +17 to -15 (median -3, mean -2.9, SD 6.7). The inter-observer reliability (n = 13/16) of the PF was good (Pearson r = 0.90). The difference of the score between the two assessors ranged from -9 to +6 (median 0, mean -1.2, SD 4.9). The correlation (Pearson) of the PF score with the SF, Barthel and SOMC was respectively r = 0.59, r = 0.27 and r = 0.63.


CONCLUSIONS
Phonological fluency testing is reliable in people with MS.
Vlaar
A M M
AM
Oxford Centre for Enablement, Oxford, UK.
Wade
D T
DT
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010700:Phonetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012660:Semantics; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*