Development and preliminary reliability of a multitasking assessment for executive functioning after concussion

Authors

Laurel B. Smith, United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine
Mary Vining Radomski, Courage Center
Leslie Freeman Davidson, Shenandoah University
Marsha Finkelstein, Courage Center
Margaret M. Weightman, Courage Center
Karen L. McCulloch, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Matthew R. Scherer, Andrew Rader U.S. Army Health Clinic

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2014

Journal

American Journal of Occupational Therapy

Volume

68

Issue

4

DOI

10.5014/ajot.2014.012393

Abstract

OBJECTIVES. Executive functioning deficits may result from concussion. The Charge of Quarters (CQ) Duty Task is a multitask assessment designed to assess executive functioning in servicemembers after concussion. In this article, we discuss the rationale and process used in the development of the CQ Duty Task and present pilot data from the preliminary evaluation of interrater reliability (IRR). METHOD. Three evaluators observed as 12 healthy participants performed the CQ Duty Task and measured performance using various metrics. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) quantified IRR. RESULTS. The ICC for task completion was .94. ICCs for other assessment metrics were variable. CONCLUSION. Preliminary IRR data for the CQ Duty Task are encouraging, but further investigation is needed to improve IRR in some domains. Lessons learned in the development of the CQ Duty Task could benefit future test development efforts with populations other than the military.

APA Citation

Smith, L., Radomski, M., Davidson, L., Finkelstein, M., Weightman, M., McCulloch, K., & Scherer, M. (2014). Development and preliminary reliability of a multitasking assessment for executive functioning after concussion. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68 (4). http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.012393