Journal Article

Clinimetrics of the cognitive section of the Italian ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen (ALS-CBS™)

Lizio, Andrea, Sansone, Valeria Ada, Carelli, Laura, Poletti, Barbara, Casiraghi, Jacopo, Appollonio, Ildebrando, Aiello, Edoardo Nicolò, La Tona, Antonino, Woolley, Susan, Greco, Lucia Catherine, Radici, Alice, Tremolizzo, Lucio, Pain, Debora, Verde, Federico, Lunetta, Christian, Brugnera, Agostino, Solca, Federica, Silani, Vincenzo, Ticozzi, Nicola, Cerri, Federica, Torre, Silvia, Compare, Angelo, Murphy, Jennifer

2023

Overview

BackgroundThe present study aimed at (1) providing further validity and reliability evidence for the Italian version of the cognitive section of the ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen (ALS-CBS™) and (2) testing its diagnostics within an Italian ALS cohort, as well as at (3) exploring its capability to discriminate patients from healthy controls (HCs).MethodsN = 293 non-demented ALS patients were administered the cognitive sections of the ALS-CBS™ and Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS). N = 96 HCs demographically matched with N = 96 patients were also administered the cognitive section of the ALS-CBS™. In patients, factorial and construct validity, internal reliability, and diagnostics against a defective score on the cognitive section of the ECAS were tested. Case–control discrimination was assessed via a logistic regression.ResultsALS-CBS™ cognitive subscales were underpinned by a simple, unidimensional structure, internally reliable (McDonald’s ω = 0.74), and mostly related with ECAS executive and fluency scores (rs = 0.54–0.71). Both raw and age- and education-adjusted scores on the cognitive section of the ALS-CBS™ accurately detected ECAS-defined cognitive impairment (AUC = 0.80 and .88, respectively), yielding optimal error-based, information-based and unitary diagnostics. A cut-off of < 15.374 was identified on adjusted scores. The test was able to discriminate patients from HCs (p < 0.001).DiscussionThe cognitive section of the Italian ALS-CBS™ is a valid, reliable, and diagnostically sound ALS-specific screener for detecting frontotemporal, executive-/attentive-based cognitive inefficiency in non-demented ALS patients, being also able to discriminate them from normotypical individuals.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / Cognitive ability / Memory / Neurosciences / Patients / Quantitative psychology / Validation studies / Validity