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A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Visual Function Classification System for children with
Hisato Nishibu1, Yousuke Ikeda1, Takahito Inoue1
1Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hokkaido Medical Center for Child Health and Rehabilitation, Sapporo, Japan.
Insights
The Japanese version of the Visual Function Classification System (VFCS) demonstrates good reliability and validity for children with cerebral palsy (CP). This classification system is crucial for understanding visual impairments in CP and improving daily living activities.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) frequently have visual dysfunctions impacting daily activities.
- A standardized classification for visual function in CP is lacking.
- The Visual Function Classification System (VFCS) offers a reliable method for assessing visual function in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the VFCS.
- To confirm its utility in classifying visual function among individuals with CP in Japan.
Main Methods:
- The VFCS was translated into Japanese following international standards.
- Content validity was assessed via questionnaires completed by various healthcare professionals.
- Reliability and concurrent validity were examined using data from 148 individuals with CP, comparing VFCS classifications with GMFCS, MACS, CFCS, and EDACS.
Main Results:
- Content validity of the Japanese VFCS was nearly established, with 74%-92% positive/neutral professional opinions.
- High intra-rater reliability (0.86-0.93) and good inter-rater reliability (0.67-0.79) were observed.
- Strong correlations were found between VFCS and other classification systems (GMFCS, MACS, CFCS, EDACS), confirming concurrent validity.
Conclusions:
- The Japanese version of the VFCS exhibits good reliability and validity.
- This tool can effectively classify visual function in children with CP in Japan.
- It supports better management and understanding of visual impairments in CP.
Background:
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often experience visual dysfunction that affects motor function and activities of daily living, but no 'gold standard' classification of visual function has been established. In recent years, however, a valid and reliable Visual Function Classification System (VFCS) for children with CP has been developed.
Aims:
To examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the VFCS in individuals with CP.
Methods:
The translation of the VFCS was performed according to international standards for the translation of measurements. We conducted questionnaires of professionals (three physicians, eight physical therapists, five occupational therapists, six speech-language-hearing therapists and a certified orthoptist) regarding the content validity of the Japanese version of the VFCS. For reliability and concurrent validity, 148 individuals with CP were classified twice by professionals using the Japanese version of the VFCS, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) and Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System (EDACS), with several weeks between each evaluation.
Results:
The content validity of the Japanese version of the VFCS almost met the criteria set. The percentage of positive and neutral opinions given by the professionals with regard to the four items ranged from 74% to 92%. The intra-rater reliability was 0.86 (95% CI 0.75-0.96) by Cohen's kappa and 0.93 (95% CI 0.88-0.96) by intraclass correlation coefficient. The inter-rater reliability was 0.67 (95% CI 0.56-0.78) by Cohen's kappa and 0.79 (95% CI 0.69-0.86) by intraclass correlation coefficient. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the VFCS and the GMFCS, MACS, CFCS and EDACS were 0.783, 0.764, 0.738, 0.738 and 0.830, respectively. The concurrent validity was confirmed by the correlations observed with other classification systems.
Conclusions:
The results indicated good reliability and validity for the Japanese version of the VFCS.
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