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PubMedDate not supplied

[Correlation between Borg's scale and spirometer in asthmatic patients].

BACKGROUND: Spirometry is the ideal evidence to diagnose and evaluate the degree of bronchial obstruction which is present in asthma; however, it is not easy for physicians to have access to it during the first contact due to its high cost. The Borg's scale is an analogous visual scale which has an economical and simple use; it evaluates in a subjective way the respiratory difficulty in a patient in a scale from 0 to 10. It is necessary to have the right tools to know the degree of pulmonary obstruction that asthmatic patients have and to be able to give them the right medical treatment. The use of the Borg's scale to evaluate the severity of the asthmatic patients causes controversy. OBJECTIVE: To determine the correlation between the spirometry and the Borg's scale in adult asthmatic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and one cases of male and female asthmatic patients were studied (GINA2002) from the consultation of specialties in Allergy and Clinic Immunology. A spirometry was done to all patients (Multispiro 2000) and the Borg's scale method was applied to them. The project was approved by the local research committee. The SPSS program version 12.0 was used and the Pearson's correlation test was applied. RESULTS: The correlation between the spirometry and the Borg's scale was r = 0.345, with p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: There is a scarce correlation between the spirometry and the Borg's scale. The result obtained in this study does not support the use of the Borg's scale to appreciate the bronchial obstruction in adult asthmatic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Population structure and niche of main scale insects in jujube orchards intercropped with wheat].

To effectively control the scale insects in jujube orchards, a field study was made on the population structure and niche of Pseudococcus comstock Kuwane, Ceroplastes japonicus Green and Quadraspidiotus perniciosus Comstock in the jujube orchards intercropped with wheat in Taigu area of Shanxi Province. The results showed that at the early development stage of jujube trees, these three kinds of scale insects mainly distributed on the southeast direction of the lower and central parts of the tree crown, and P. comstock was the dominant species, with a wider breadth of two-dimensional temporal-spatial niche than the other two scale insects. At the mid-stage of jujube trees development, these scale insects mainly distributed on the northwest direction of the upper part of the tree crown, C. japonicus had a wider breadth of two-dimensional temporal-spatial niche than the other two scale insects, and the niche proportional similarity and interspecific competition of the three kinds of scale insects were not obvious. At the later stage of jujube trees development, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the population structure of the three kinds of scale insects on the different parts and directions of tree crown, but the density of Q. perniciosus was bigger, and C. japonicus had a wider breadth of two-dimensional temporal-spatial niche. The average values of niche proportional similarity and interspecific competition of the three kinds of scale insects were smaller (P < 0.05) at the later development stage of jujube trees. Therefore, P. comstock should be controlled at the early development stage of jujube trees, all the three kinds of scale insects should be controlled selectively at the mid-stage of jujube trees development, and their overwinterings should be decreased by all means at the later development stage of jujube trees.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1999

Developing and testing of an Egyptian version of Children's Health Locus of Control scale.

The purpose of this study is to develop and test the reliability and validity of an Egyptian version of the Children's Health Locus of Control scale. A cross sectional study design was applied using a stratified random sample of 930 students from the final two grades of primary and all grades of the preparatory schools. A further convenience sample of 120 students was selected to examine test-retest reliability of the scale. A preliminary instrument was developed and consisted of 40 statements having one of two response forms; a Yes/No format and a 4-point Likert scale format From data analysis the later format showed higher validity and reliability than the former one. Construct validity of the scale is evidenced by the factor analysis which revealed five factors (Internal, Chance, Powerful Others, Fate and Self blame) consistent with the previous theoretical model of HLC. As indicated by eta coefficient the scale and the subscales showed strong discriminating power between subjects. The known group comparison indicated a good criterion validity of the scale and the subscales. The scale showed a considerable reliability as alpha coefficient was 0.73 with test-retest reliability of 0.65. Comparison of different groups of students indicated that the scale could be used with confidence for all age groups, though it was more reliable for the preparatory phase, for private and governmental schools for males and females and for different social strata. Further testing of the developed scale is indicated among Egyptian children in different cultures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Clinical grading and the effects of scaling.

In clinical practice, there has been a need to grade the magnitude or the severity of the functions and qualities that are assessed in the examination. It is popular to use a four-step grading scale to categorize the severity of clinical findings. The authors discuss clinical grading scales and their influence on the clinician's ability to detect change. These principles have been applied to grades or measures derived from either objective measuring instruments, subjective tests, or techniques in which the clinician makes subjective judgments. A hypothetical data set was used to show the problems associated with using grading scales that are too coarse. The authors presented a mathematic model that helps to estimate the benefits of using use of a finer scale. Data were presented from two separate studies, one on visual acuity measurement and the other on grading nuclear opacity, to show the advantages of using finer scales to enhance the sensitivity of clinical measurement. High levels of concordance between independent observations indicated that the grading scale was too coarse and that these scales needlessly reduced the clinician's ability to detect change in the parameter being assessed. For moderate sensitivity, the size of the scale increments should not exceed one standard deviation of the discrepancy so that the concordance of paired comparisons would not exceed 37%. For fine clinical sensitivity, the size of the scale increments should not exceed one third of the standard deviation of the discrepancy, in which case the concordance of paired comparisons would not exceed 13%. The theory and evidence presented here could prompt re-evaluations of common methods of clinical grading.

Cataract↗
PubMed1990

Validity and reliability of the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale: study with intravenous midazolam.

The Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAA/S) Scale was developed to measure the level of alertness in subjects who are sedated. This scale was tested in 18 subjects in a three-period crossover study to assess its reliability and its criterion, behavioral, and construct validity. After receiving either placebo or a titrated dose of midazolam to produce light or heavy sedation, each subject was administered two sedation scales (OAA/S Scale and a Visual Analogue Scale) and two performances tests (Digit Symbol Substitution Test and Serial Sevens Subtraction). Two raters individually evaluated the subject's level of alertness on each of the two sedation scales. The results obtained on the OAA/S Scale were reliable and valid as measured by high correlations between the two raters and high correlations between the OAA/S Scale and two of the three standard tests used in this study. The OAA/S Scale was sensitive to the level of midazolam administered; all pairwise comparisons were significant (p less than 0.05) for all three treatment levels at both test periods.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[An empirical comparison of 5 standard procedures for one-dimensional scaling].

Scales on the badness of 10 offenses/crimes are derived by using the five most common scaling methods: averaging of the badness-ratings of the stimuli on an 11-point scale; mean ranks of complete rankings of the 10 stimuli; Thurstone scales for complete forced-choice and constant-sum pair comparisons, resp.; and ratio scales derived from pairwise ratio judgments for all pairs. From older investigations, a logarithmic correspondence of ratio scales and Thurstone or average ratings, resp., can be predicted. The data corroborate this prediction. They show furthermore that the ratio scale has an exceedingly close, logarithmic relation to each of the other four scales. We therefore conclude that, once a universe has been shown to be scalable, a scale can be constructed very economicaly by simply averaging ratings.

Attitude↗
PubMed1994

Development of pigmented scales on rat skin: relation to age, sex, strain, and hormonal effect.

Development of brownish scales on the skin was examined in seven inbred strains of laboratory rats, Rattus norvegicus (F344, WM, WF, LOU, BUF, ACI, and LEJ rats) up to 104 weeks old. Pigmented scales appeared mainly on the dorsum of the body but also on the perineum and the tail. The distribution of the scales changed with age and showed sex and strain differences. In males of all seven strains except F344, the scales on the dorsal region appeared at puberty then gradually developed and spread extensively in a strain-dependent pattern, until the rats were of adult age. The coloring gradually decreased with further aging. However, in F344 rats, the coloring did not spread after puberty, and in adult rats, it was partial and very weak. Among female rats, scales appeared only in LEJ rats when they were of adult and old age. Gonadectomy in WM and WF rats caused fading of the dorsal scales in males but slightly induced coloring in females. Androgen administration to the gonadectomized rats increased the pigmented scales in both sexes of both strains. In F344 rats, however, skin color was hardly changed by gonadectomy and/or the subsequent androgen administration in either sex. In F344 male rats, the testosterone concentration in serum was not significantly lower than that of WM and WF male rats. These results indicate that the development of brownish scales on rat skin is dependent on age, sex, strain, and androgen, and it is suggested that the ability producing the scales is genetically poor in the F344 strain.

Aging↗
PubMed1994

PMC Patient Severity Scale: derivation and validation.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes the derivation and validation of the Patient Management Category (PMC) Severity Scale, which provides a method of assessing the overall severity of a hospitalized patient's illnesses, based on the patient's unique clinical conditions, their interaction, and the resultant, combined risk of morbidity and mortality. DATA SOURCES: Derivation of the PMC Severity Scale was based on clinical judgment together with empirical analysis of more than a half million patients discharged from acute care hospitals in Maryland during 1989. The scale was validated by using two distinct calendar years (1988 and 1990) of patients data from the same Maryland hospitals and a six-month patient database from California (1990). STUDY DESIGN: The PMC Severity Scale is an ordinal scale with seven levels: Level 7 represents the greatest likelihood of death and major disease burden. The scale quantifies the severity of each of the patient's disease(s) and accounts for the effect of all coexisting conditions and complications. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS: Publicly available, statewide all-payer claims databases were acquired from Maryland and California. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The independent relationships between the PMC Severity Scale with mortality and with length of stay are statistically different across severity levels within each population tested, but the relationships are statistically similar over time. Further, the PMC Severity Scale was determined to be a stable predictor of mortality and LOS across two diverse geographic regions. CONCLUSIONS: Since the severity of a patient's illness is one of the factors that influences the outcomes of care, the PMC Severity Scale can be used successfully as a risk adjustment tool in a variety of quality applications.

California↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hypothetical model of serotonin deficit in the aged subject. Development and validation of a clinical scale].

Few works exist about specific abnormalities of neurotransmission, therefore noticeable and with important clinical consequences in elderly patients. Specially serotonin, which neurotransmission is lower, seems to have a wide influence. The symptomatology of the serotonin shortage is well known in the young adult (Asberg and Van Praag). The aim of this study is to apply those hypothesis and to look for a particular clinical expression of symptoms usually related to a low level of serotonin in an older population, and this in a transnosographic way. We built up a clinical scale gathering different symptoms supposed to be related to a defect in the serotonin transmission in elderly subjects. From a first factor analysis, a dimensional scale of ten items as been settled and validated in 75 inpatients over 60 years old; each patient has also been assessed by a series of tests (MMS of Folstein, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Jouvent mood scale, Widlöcher Retardation Scale). Factor analysis results show an homogeneous factorial structure and highly selective items and had a three factors dispatching (a "main" factor, a "depression" factor, and "sleep" factor). Those subgroups of symptoms have a clinical meaning and fit the litterature. We also find a good specificity: the factor analysis on added items of depressive semiology (Hamilton scale) and serotonin related semiology shows the splitting of the Hamilton items, whenever the 5-HT- Scale items keep a steady factorial repartition. Those preliminary results deserve further studies; and external validation of the scale remains to be done. Nevertheless, the structure of this scale shows a beginning of internal validation and seems to be interesting in the elderly clinical evaluation.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Measurement characteristics of two asthma symptom diary scales for use in clinical trials.

The measurement characteristics of two asthma symptom diary scales developed for use as health outcome measures in clinical trials of asthma therapy were investigated. A daytime diary scale was designed to capture the frequency and inconvenience of daytime asthma symptoms and their effects on activities, and a nocturnal asthma symptom diary scale was designed to capture awakenings with asthma symptoms. The internal consistency, reliability, validity and responsiveness of both asthma diary scales were assessed in 346 adult asthma patients in two placebo-controlled clinical trials of an investigational asthma therapy, a leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitor. The daytime symptom scale showed sufficient internal consistency (0.90-0.92), and the daytime and nocturnal symptom scales showed sufficient test retest reliability (0.69-0.87). Construct validity was demonstrated by generally moderate-to-strong correlations for changes in the diary scales with changes in other measures of asthma status, such as forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and puffs of beta-agonist inhaler. Both scales demonstrated significant responsiveness to change in asthma due to therapy in one of the clinical trials. Based on these results, the daytime and nocturnal asthma symptom diary scales show measurement characteristics appropriate for use as asthma outcome measures in clinical trials of asthma therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Development of the scale of quality of life for diseases with visual impairment.

PURPOSE: To describe the development of the of scale quality of life which can measure the quality of life of Chinese patients with visual impairment. METHODS: Based on a thorough literature search and consultation with ophthalmologists and public health professionals, 20 items were selected to create a scale. Fifty-seven cataract patients with vision impairment and 60 glaucoma patients with vision impairment and visual field loss were measured by the scale to evaluate the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the scale. RESULTS: The scale covered four domains of the quality of life (QOL). The criterion related validity of the scale: r = 0.6865 (P = 0.001). The test-retest reliability of the scale: r = 0.8959 (P = 0.001). Coronback's alpha was 0.9359. The variance ratio (VR) of intra-individual variance to inter-individual variance was 0.0551 for overall scores. The correlation coefficient of split-half method was 0.9553. The responsiveness: T-test, T = 5.95 (P = 0.001), effect size statistic was 1.533. CONCLUSIONS: The result demonstrates that the scale has a satisfactory validity, reliability and responsiveness. It suggests that the scale can be applied to clinical trials.

Cataract↗
PubMed1997

Scaling of cortical neuron density and white matter volume in mammals.

A prior scaling model, based on repeating cortical units, whose number and size increase with brain size, gave discrete exponents for cortical thickness (1/9), outer (visible) surface area (2/3), folded cortical surface area (8/9) and cortical volume (1), each as a function of brain volume. These exponents are in reasonable agreement with a diversity of empirical data (Prothero, 1997). Rockel et al. (1980) reported that neuron number, assayed in a narrow column across cortex (pia to white matter) is invariant over several differing brain regions and species. Since cortical thickness scales, empirically, as about the 1/9 power of brain volume, their data imply that neuron line density (across cortex) scales with an exponent of about -1/9. Rockel et al. (1980) also urged that cortical neuron surface density is invariant. This extrapolation implies that neuron volume density scales, like line density, as the -1/9 power of brain volume, in marked disparity with the data of Haug (1987) and Tower (1954). The present model assumes an invariant number of neurons per repeating unit. Thus neuron number, assayed across cortical thickness, is independent of brain size, in accord with Rockel et al. (1980). The model predicts that neuron line density (in any direction) scales as the -1/9 power of brain volume. Now neuron volume density scales as the -1/3 power of brain volume, in reasonable agreement with the results of Haug (1987) and Tower (1954). For white matter, I assume that mean axon length scales with brain diameter (exponent of 1/3). The number of white matter axons scales in proportion to the number of repeating units (exponent of 2/3). Given an invariant size distribution of white matter axons, white matter volume thus scales with an exponent of one, in reasonable accord with Haug (1970).

Animals↗
PubMed1998

The Copenhagen Neck Functional Disability Scale: a study of reliability and validity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a newly developed disability scale for patients with neck pain demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. METHODS: Testing was conducted using three different samples of patients with neck pain (n = 162). Test-retest reliability of the scale was carried out on the same day with one sample (n = 39), and between-day reliability was carried out with another (n = 21). Differential item functioning with regard to the influence of gender and age was carried out with these two patient groups, as was construct validity. Responsiveness was measured using patients participating in a clinical trial involving patients with chronic neck pain (n = 102). Additionally, scale scores were compared with a wide range of physical measurements using the patients in the clinical trial. RESULTS: Short-term, between-day and postal questionnaire reliability coefficients were all extremely high. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was 0.9 for the entire scale, and the coefficients for individual items were all greater than 0.88. Disability scale scores correlated strongly to pain scores as well as to doctor and patient global assessments, indicating good construct validity. Relative changes in disability scores demonstrated a moderately strong correlation to changes in pain scores after treatment. Scale scores correlated weakly to all physical measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The disability scale demonstrated excellent practicality and reliability. The scale accurately reflects patient perceptions regarding functional status and pain as well as doctor's global assessment and is responsive to change over long periods of time. We feel that this scale can be a valuable tool for the assessment of patients in future clinical trials and quality of care studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

An examination of the clinical validity of the MCMI-III Depressive Personality scale.

We examined the redundancy and incremental validity of the newly introduced Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) Depressive Personality scale with a heterogeneous sample of 283 psychiatric inpatients. Linear and nominal bivariate correlations indicated sizable overlap between the MCMI-III Depressive, Avoidant, and Self-Defeating Personality scales. Also, the Depressive Personality scale showed moderate overlap with the MCMI-III Major Depression scale. Despite this redundancy, the Depressive Personality scale made significant independent contributions in predicting Axis-I measures of depression, i.e., the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) Depression and Interpersonal Sensitivity scales, as well as the MCMI-III Major Depression scale. The Depressive Personality scale appears to be dimensionally related to these measures of Axis-I depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Brief Symptom Inventory.

General psychopathology rating scales have multiple uses and have been used extensively. These rating scales may be found in several forms including an interview procedure and self-report. The advantages of self-report measures, as well as their possible deficits, were discussed. Because there are so many varying kinds of rating scales, criteria were set forth as to how to evaluate scales. An interview with a rating scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and a self-report measure, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), were compared in this study. The BPRS has been widely used and has been evaluated as one of the very best rating scales. However, experienced raters and more time are needed to administer the BPRS. The BSI is highly evaluated as one of the best brief self-report measures and requires much less professional time. Both instruments have high reliability and validity. Correlations of the BPRS total score with the total scores on the BSI were significant, as were correlations of the depression, anxiety, and hostility subscales on each instrument. Therefore, either scale could be used for a brief assessment of overall symptomatology, depression, anxiety, and hostility. However, it is suggested that the subscales should be compared to other criteria to measure their convergent validity.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A comparison and evaluation of three commonly used autism scales.

Reliability and validity of three commonly used autism scales, the Autism Behavior Checklist (Krug, Arick, & Almond, 1980), the Real Life Rating Scale (Freeman, Ritvo, Yokota, & Ritvo, 1986), and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (Schopler, Reichler, & Renner, 1988), were investigated. Data analyses were based on completed protocols for 24 children or adolescents who met DSM-III-R criteria for pervasive developmental disorders. First, to replicate previous findings, interrater reliability of each of the two direct observational scales was assessed. Second, correlations between pairs of the three scales were calculated. Third, diagnostic classifications based on autism scale cutoff scores were compared to classifications based on DSM-III-R criteria. Fourth, relationships between autism scale scores and adaptive behavior scores were investigated. Results and implications for the use of these scales in the assessment of autistic behaviors are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rating depression in normals and depressives: observer versus self-rating scales.

Different methods of assessing depression and anxiety were tested in 20 patients suffering from a major depressive disorder with melancholia and 20 matched control subjects. Depressives were assessed before and after treatment with amitriptyline and normals were retested at the same interval. The scales used were: Paykel's Clinical Interview for Depression--which is an expanded version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; the Brief Depression Rating Scale; and Symptom Questionnaire (SQ). All scales discriminated sensitively between patients and normals and the scores changed substantially with treatment. Except for the well-being subscales of the SQ, the scales showed an adequate test-retest reliability in normals. Although all scales were suitable for the measurement of depression, they differed in psychometric properties. For example, the Depression subscale of the SQ showed an unusually high test-retest reliability in normals, whereas the Contentment subscale was unreliable. Yet, the latter has been found to be highly sensitive in detecting differences between the effects of psychotropic drugs and placebo in drug trials, so it appears to measure sensitively a fleeting mood. The combined use of all three scales in patients with affective disorders yields information that might not be revealed if only one scale is used.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Reliability and validity of a depression rating scale for schizophrenics.

The Calgary Depression Scale (CDS) is a nine item structured interview scale, in which each item has a four point measure, each point anchored by descriptors. The scale has been specifically developed to assess depression in schizophrenics. This article describes the testing of the reliability and validity of the CDS. The scale is assessed and compared to three established measures, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and a depression measure derived from the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the CDS is unidimensional, measuring the same construct in both in- and outpatients. The scale has high internal consistency, significant strong correlations with scores on the Hamilton, Beck and BPRS depression measures, and the presence of a major depressive episode. All items of the CDS significantly discriminate between the presence and absence of a major depressive episode. It is concluded that the CDS is a parsimonious reliable scale which is suitable for assessing depression across both the acute and residual stages of schizophrenia.

Adult↗