title: Psychometric investigation of the abbreviated concussion symptom inventory in a sample of U.S. Marines returning from combat.
abstract: This study describes the psychometric investigation of an 11-item symptom checklist, the Abbreviated Concussion Symptom Inventory (ACSI). The ACSI is a dichotomously scored list of postconcussive symptoms associated with mild traumatic brain injury. The ACSI was administered to Marines (N = 1,435) within the 1st month of their return from combat deployments to Afghanistan. Psychometric analyses based upon nonparametric item response theory supported scoring the ACSI via simple summation of symptom endorsements; doing so produced a total score with good reliability (α = .802). Total scores were also found to significantly differentiate between different levels of head injury complexity during deployment, F(3, 1,431) = 100.75, p < .001. The findings support the use of the ASCI in research settings requiring a psychometrically reliable measure of postconcussion symptoms.
authors.affiliation: a U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Center Pacific , San Diego , California.
authors.forename: Justin S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pulos
authors.forename: F Jay
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Haran
authors.forename: Jack W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Aimee L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Alphonso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Afghanistan; IRT; Marines; Mokken nonparametric item response theory; TBI; measurement; mild TBI; mild traumatic brain injury; postdeployment; psychometric; reliability; screening; symptoms; traumatic brain injury