• Marianne Løvstad, Kathrine F Frøslie, Joseph T Giacino, Toril Skandsen, Audny Anke, and Anne-Kristine Schanke.
• Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway. Marianne.lovstad@sunnaas.no
• J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2010 Sep 1;25(5):349-56.

ObjectiveTo confirm the reliability and diagnostic validity of the JFK Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) across raters with varying levels of experience.MethodsThirty-one patients with disorders of consciousness were recruited from 6 Norwegian hospitals.Main Outcome MeasuresCRS-R and the Disability Rating Scale.ResultsReliability measures were good for the CRS-R total scores and moderate to good for its subscales. Diagnostic agreement among examiners was good. Raters' experience with the CRS-R favorably influenced reliability. Sensitivity and specificity analyses demonstrated better detection of patients in minimally conscious state on the CRS-R relative to the Disability Rating Scale.ConclusionsThe CRS-R is a reliable tool for diagnosing vegetative state and minimally conscious state. Raters' level of experience influences the reliability of the CRS-R scores.

19 keywords...

hide…