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Discriminant validity of the Medical Outcomes Study cognitive function scale in HIV disease patients
D A Revicki1, K Chan, F Gevirtz
1MEDTAP International, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Insights
This study validates self-report cognitive function scales for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. These scales effectively identify cognitive impairment, even when accounting for depression, supporting their use in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leads to chronic disease progression, impacting quality of life and cognitive function.
- Assessing cognitive function is crucial for managing HIV patients' health and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the construct and discriminant validity of the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) four-item and six-item cognitive function scales.
- To determine if these self-report scales can accurately reflect cognitive changes in individuals with HIV.
Main Methods:
- 162 patients with HIV disease were assessed at baseline and 4 months.
- Data collected included MOS cognitive function scales, a cognitive transition item, the Reitan Trail Making Test (TMT), and the CES-D depression scale.
- Statistical analyses examined the relationship between cognitive function scales and disease stage, CD4 count, self-reported changes, TMT results, and depression.
Main Results:
- MOS cognitive function scales showed significant variation across HIV disease stages, CD4 counts, self-reported cognitive changes, TMT-defined cognitive impairment, and depression.
- These scales demonstrated predictive validity for cognitive impairment identified by the TMT.
- The validity of the scales remained significant even after controlling for depression.
Conclusions:
- The MOS four-item and six-item cognitive function scales possess strong construct validity for use in patients with HIV.
- These self-report measures are valuable tools for assessing cognitive function and impairment in the context of HIV disease.
- The findings support the utility of these scales in clinical research and practice for monitoring cognitive health in HIV-infected individuals.
Abstract:
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection results in a chronic course of disease progression and eventual death. With this disease progression comes decreases in health-related quality of life and cognitive function in many patients. We evaluated the construct and discriminant validity of the Medical Outcomes Study four-item and six-item cognitive function scale in a sample of 162 patients with HIV disease. The patients were assessed at baseline and after 4 months with the cognitive function scale, a cognitive functioning transition item, the Reitan trail making test (TMT) and the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. The results found that the four- and six-item cognitive function scales varied by HIV disease stage, CD4 count, self-reported change in cognitive function, TMT-based cognitive impairment and depression. The differences in the cognitive function scores were attenuated, but still remained statistically significant even after controlling for depression. The cognitive function scales predict cognitive impairment based on the TMT. The results support the construct validity of these self-report cognitive function scales.