• Davide Sattin, Piergiorgio Lovaglio, Greta Brenna, Venusia Covelli, Davide Rossi Sebastiano, Dunja Duran, Ludovico Minati, Ambra Mara Giovannetti, Cristina Rosazza, Anna Bersano, Anna Nigri, Stefania Ferraro, and Matilde Leonardi.
• 1 Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit and Coma Research Centre, Neurological Institute C. Besta IRCCS Foundation, Milan, Italy.
• Clin Rehabil. 2017 Sep 1; 31 (9): 1226-1237.

ObjectiveThe study compared the metric characteristics (discriminant capacity and factorial structure) of two different methods for scoring the items of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised and it analysed scale scores collected using the standard assessment procedure and a new proposed method.DesignCross sectional design/methodological study.SettingInpatient, neurological unit.ParticipantsA total of 153 patients with disorders of consciousness were consecutively enrolled between 2011 and 2013.InterventionAll patients were assessed with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised using standard (rater 1) and inverted (rater 2) procedures.Main Outcome MeasuresComa Recovery Scale-Revised score, number of cognitive and reflex behaviours and diagnosis.ResultsRegarding patient assessment, rater 1 using standard and rater 2 using inverted procedures obtained the same best scores for each subscale of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised for all patients, so no clinical (and statistical) difference was found between the two procedures. In 11 patients (7.7%), rater 2 noted that some Coma Recovery Scale-Revised codified behavioural responses were not found during assessment, although higher response categories were present. A total of 51 (36%) patients presented the same Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores of 7 or 8 using a standard score, whereas no overlap was found using the modified score. Unidimensionality was confirmed for both score systems.ConclusionThe Coma Recovery Scale Modified Score showed a higher discriminant capacity than the standard score and a monofactorial structure was also supported. The inverted assessment procedure could be a useful evaluation method for the assessment of patients with disorder of consciousness diagnosis.

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