Ecological validity of the neuropsychological assessment battery screening module in post-acute brain injury rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the ecological validity of the Screening Module of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB-SM) using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM).


METHODS
Seventy individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury at a residential post-acute rehabilitation facility were administered the FIM instrument and the NAB-SM upon admission. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the variables from these two assessment measures.


RESULTS
Hierarchical models revealed that (1) the NAB-SM Total score was significantly associated with the FIM instrument Total score as well as the Motor and Cognition sub-scale scores, above and beyond the contribution of demographic variables, (2) the NAB-SM Language, Memory and Spatial domain scores were significantly associated with of the FIM instrument Cognition sub-scale score and (3) the NAB-SM Spatial domain score was significantly associated with of the FIM instrument Total and Motor sub-scale scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The current findings support previous research and provide strong evidence for the ecological validity of the NAB-SM with regard to functional abilities as assessed by the FIM instrument.
Temple
Richard O
RO
CORE Health Care, Dripping Springs, TX, USA.
Zgaljardic
Dennis J
DJ
Abreu
Beatriz C
BC
Seale
Gary S
GS
Ostir
Glenn V
GV
Ottenbacher
Kenneth J
KJ
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012044:Regression Analysis