Italian adaptation of the functional outcome questionnaire – aphasia: initial psychometric evaluation

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia.

Methods: Two hundred and five persons with stroke-related aphasia and right hemiparesis who received ongoing assistance from a family caregiver were assessed using the Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia, Aachener Aphasie Test, Token Test, Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Functional Assessment Measure (FAM), and Quality of Life Questionnaire for Aphasics (QLQA). The Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia was translated into the Italian language using a translation and back-translation method. Reliability and construct validity of the Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia were evaluated.

Results: The Italian version of the Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia showed good internal consistency and test–retest reliability for the overall scale (α?=?0.98; ICC?=?0.95) and subscales (α?=?0.89 for the communicating basic needs (CBN), α?=?0.92 for the making routine requests (MRR), α?=?0.96 for the communicating new information (CNI), α?=?0.93 for the attention/other communication skills (AO); ICC?=?0.95 for CBN, ICC?=?0.96 for MRR, ICC?=?0.97 for CNI and ICC?=?0.92 for AO). Significant correlations were found between the Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia and Token Test, QLQA, Aachener Aphasie Test scores, and FAM linguistic scores, indicating good convergent validity. Low correlations were found between Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia and Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices and FIM motor scores, showing good discriminant validity.

Conclusions: The overall findings of this study supported the reliability and construct validity of the Italian version of the Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia. This measure holds considerable promise in assessing the functional outcomes of aphasia rehabilitation in Italian-speaking persons with aphasia.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia is a reliable and valid questionnaire in assessing functional communication of Italian-speaking people with aphasia.

• This measure provides critical information about people with aphasia’s functional and pragmatic communication in home and community settings, contributing significantly to overall quality of life.

• Since the use of measures of functional communication is recommended in the clinical evaluation of language disease, the Italian version of Functional Outcome Questionnaire – Aphasia may be effective in tailoring rehabilitation treatment to the presenting communication problems of people with aphasia and their caregivers.

     

Microtubule-binding drugs offset tau sequestration by stabilizing microtubules and reversing fast axonal transport deficits in a tauopathy model

We tested the hypothesis that microtubule (MT)-binding drugs could be therapeutically beneficial in tauopathies by functionally substituting for the MT-binding protein tau, which is sequestered into inclusions of human tauopathies and transgenic mouse models thereof. Transgenic mice were treated for 12 weeks with weekly i.p. injections of 10 or 25 mg/m(2) paclitaxel (Paxceed). Both doses restored fast axonal transport in spinal axons, wherein MT numbers and stable (detyrosinated) tubulins were increased, compared with sham treatment, and only Paxceed ameliorated motor impairments in tau transgenic mice. Thus, MT-stabilizing drugs could have therapeutic potential for treating neurodegenerative tauopathies by offsetting losses of tau function that result from the sequestration of this MT-stabilizing protein into filamentous inclusions.     

Sex differences in the renal changes elicited by angiotensin II blockade during the nephrogenic period

The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in renal development. However, it is unknown whether reduction in angiotensin II effects during the nephrogenic period leads to different renal alterations in males and females during the adult age. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the role of angiotensin II on renal development is sex dependent and whether there are sex differences in blood pressure, renal hemodynamics, and severity of renal damage during adult life when nephrogenesis is altered by blocking angiotensin II effects. Newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist (L-158.809; 7 mg/kg per day) during the first 2 weeks of life. At 3 months of age, changes in blood pressure, albuminuria, and renal hemodynamics were assessed, and stereological and histopathologic studies were performed. Blood pressure increased (127+/-0.5 versus 115+/-0.7 mm Hg in control rats; P<0.05) and nephron number decreased (37%; P<0.05) similarly in treated males and females. However, only males had an elevation in albuminuria (5.92+/-1.65 versus 0.33+/-0.09 mg per day in control rats; P<0.05), a fall in glomerular filtration rate (12.6%; P<0.05), and a significant decrease in papillary volume (42%; P<0.05). Mean glomerular volume, glomerulosclerosis, arteriolar hypertrophy, and tubulointerstitial damage in cortex and medulla were also higher (P<0.05) in angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist-treated males than in treated females. The results of this study suggest that females seem to be more protected than males to the renal consequences of reducing angiotensin II effects during renal development.     

Letters to the Editor

Pharmaceutical Research -     

Effects of gastrointestinal hormones on vascular smooth muscle

The effects of the gastrointestinal hormones secretin and cholecystokinin (CCK) were investigated on rat portal-vein mechanical activity. Doses of 0.03–0.60 units/ml Boots secretin; 0.18–0.60 units/ml, pure, natural secretin; and 0.12–0.60 units/ml CCK elicited dose-dependent decreases in amplitude and simultaneous increases in frequency of spontaneous contractions that were unaffected by - or -adrenergic or cholinergic blockade. These effects were mimicked by isoproterenol, theophylline, and cyclic AMP, and all agents tested were also effective in reducing K- or norepinephrine-induced tension. Additionally, subthreshold doses of CCK and secretin elicited responses when given in combination, and the effects of the hormones at all doses were potentiated by theophylline, indicating an interaction between these hormones on rat portal vein that may involve cyclic AMP. It is suggested that part of the mechanism of hormone-induced mesenteric vasodilation smooth muscle.     

Multiplexed genotyping of beta globin mutations with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

BackgroundBeta thalassemia represents a great heterogeneity as over 300 mutations have been identified and each population at-risk has its own spectrum of mutations. Molecular characterization with high accuracy, sensitivity and economics is required for population screening and genetic counseling.MethodsWe used the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) platform to develop novel multiplex assays for comprehensive detection of 27 mutations in beta-thalassemia patients. Six multiplex assays were designed to detect 13 common known ß-mutations, namely CD41/42, CD71/72, IVS1-5, IVS1-1, CD26, IVS2-654, CAP + 1, CD19, -28, -29, IVS1-2, InCD (T-G) and CD17; and 14 rare ß-mutations, i.e. InCD (A-C), CD8/9, CD43, -86, CD15, Poly A, Poly T/C, IVS2-1, CD1, CD35/36, CD27/28, CD16, CD37, and 619bpDEL in 165 samples. We compared the efficiencies of genotyping by MS and Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS). Discrepant results were confirmed by sequencing analysis.ResultsA total of 88.7% (260/293 allele) of MS and ARMS results was in agreement. More than fifty percent of the discrepant result was due to the false interpretation of ARMS results. Failed CD19 assay by MS method might be due to the assay design. The MS method detected 5 rare ß-mutations (CD15, CD35/36, CD8/9, Poly A and Poly T/C) presented in 13 alleles, which were not included in the ARMS screening panel.ConclusionWe revealed that the MS method is a sensitive, high-throughput, highly automated, flexible, and cost-effective alternative to conventional ß-thalassemia genotyping methods.     

Effects of gastrointestinal hormones on vascular smooth muscle.

The effects of the gastrointestinal hormones secretin and cholecystokinin (CCK) were investigated on rat portal-vein mechanical activity. Doses of 0.03-0.60 units/ml Boots secretin; 0.18-0.60 units/ml pure, natural secretin; and 0.12-0.60 units/ml CCK elicited dose-dependent decreases in amplitude and simultaneous increases in frequency of spontaneous contractions that were unaffected by alpha-or beta-adrenergic or cholinergic blocdade. These effects were mimicked by isoproterenol, theophylline, and cyclic AMP, and all agents tested were also effective in reducing K-or norepinephrine-induced tension. Additionally, subthreshold doses of CCK and secretin elicited responses when given in combination, and the effects of the hormomes at all doses were potentiated by theophyline, indicating an interaction berween these hormones on rat portal vein thatmay involve cyclic AMP. It is suggested that part of the mechanism of hormone-induced mesenteric vasodilatation may involve a direct relaxing effect of the hormones on vascularsmooth muscle.     

Occurrence and significance of vascular invasion in multinodular adenomatous goiter

Solitary follicular neoplasms of the thyroid gland are usually classified as adenomas or carcinomas according to two main criteria: vascular invasion and capsular penetration. No information is available on the occurrence of vascular invasion in multinodular goiter lesions, except for the case of a follicular carcinoma within a goiter. One thousand consecutive cases of multinodular adenomatous goiter were reviewed. After screening all H&E-stained slides, 5 patients with histological features typical of adenomatous goiter but displaying foci of vascular invasion at the periphery of the nodes were selected. A single vessel (2 patients) and 2–4 vessels (3 patients) at the periphery of different nodules were involved, with clusters of follicular cells lined by endothelium and partly filling the lumen. Clinical information was obtained from all patients: No recurrences or progressive disease were reported 14 to 16 years after operation. These findings indicate that presence of minimal vascular invasion, although a valuable criterion of differentiation in solitary follicular lesions of the thyroid, has little diagnostic importance in the setting of multinodular adenomatous goiter. It does not appear to justify a diagnosis of malignancy and does not indicate a need for further therapy.