[Reliability and factorial structure of a rating scale for persistent vegetative state]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Context:

• Vegetative state (VS) patients require precise assessment tools to monitor their condition.
• Existing scales may lack the sensitivity to detect subtle clinical changes.
• Standardized measurement is crucial for effective patient management and research.

Purpose:

• To introduce and validate the Kohnan Vegetative Score (KVS) for assessing vegetative state patients.
• To evaluate the reliability (intra-rater and inter-rater) and factorial structure of the KVS.
• To establish the KVS as a practical and dependable clinical tool.

Summary:

• The Kohnan Vegetative Score is a 7-item scale designed to measure severity and clinical changes in vegetative state patients.
• Reliability was assessed using weighted Kappa coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).
• Factor analysis confirmed the scale's unidimensionality, with the first factor accounting for 91.5% of the variance. Intra-rater reliability ranged from 0.44 to 0.64, and inter-rater reliability from 0.37 to 0.69. The ICC for the summary score was 0.90.

Impact:

• The Kohnan Vegetative Score demonstrates high reliability and unidimensionality, making it suitable for practical clinical use.
• This validated scale can aid in more accurate assessment and tracking of patient progress in vegetative states.
• The KVS provides a standardized method for evaluating subtle clinical changes, potentially improving patient care and research outcomes.