TY - JOUR PY - 2011// TI - Reliability, Sensitivity, and Specificity of the VA Traumatic Brain Injury Screening Tool JO - Journal of head trauma rehabilitation A1 - Donnelly, Kerry T. A1 - Donnelly, James P. A1 - Dunnam, Mina A1 - Warner, Gary C. A1 - Kittleson, C. J. A1 - Constance, Janet E. A1 - Bradshaw, Charles B. A1 - Alt, Michelle SP - 439 EP - 453 VL - 26 IS - 6 N2 - OBJECTIVE:: To provide item analyses, estimates of temporal reliability and internal consistency, andexamination of the sensitivity and specificity of a traumatic brain injury-screening tool. PARTICIPANTS:: Fivehundred veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan enrolled in the study, approximately half of whom (248) volunteered. Theremaining 252 participants were referred to Veteran Affairs (VA) neuropsychology or polytrauma clinics. DESIGN:: Thispsychometric study constitutes part of a larger 4-year, multisite prospective cohort study of veterans returning from Iraq andAfghanistan. SETTING:: Five VA medical centers and one VA outpatient clinic. MAIN MEASURES:: Veterantraumatic brain injury screening tool (VATBIST), a structured diagnostic interview for traumatic brain injury; amilitary-oriented posttraumatic stress disorder checklist. RESULTS:: The VATBIST appeared to have high-internalconsistency (0.77) and test-retest reliability (0.80), high sensitivity (0.94) and moderate specificity (0.59). Diagnostic odds ratiosfor the screening tool ranged from 12.6 for the total sample to 24, when veterans with probable posttraumatic stress disorderwere excluded from analysis. CONCLUSIONS:: The VATBIST appears to be a reliable and valid instrument. The presence ofsignificant posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, however, reduces the accuracy of the measure and highlights the need forcareful clinical follow-up of persons who screen positive.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0885-9701 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/HTR.0b013e3182005de3 ID - ref1 ER -