Assessing memory rehabilitation outcomes using Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire

Abstract

Background/Aims: There are few measures available to assess the outcome of cognitive rehabilitation. The Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire was designed to assess the outcome of memory rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to examine the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire, and to evaluate its responsiveness to change for people with traumatic brain injury who received memory rehabilitation. Methods: The Everyday Memory Questionnaire was administered as a baseline assessment in a randomised controlled trial of memory rehabilitation. Participants in the intervention group received ten weekly group memory rehabilitation sessions. The Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire was administered at the first and last intervention session. Findings: Of the 171 participants randomised to the intervention group, 118 completed the Everyday Memory Questionnaire and Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire. The internal consistency of all subscales was acceptable to good (α>0.7), with the exception of the control subscale, which was unacceptable. There were statistically significant but low correlations (rs 0.17 to 0.34, p<0.05) between the Everyday Memory Questionnaire and the three subscales of the Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire section A, before treatment. There was a statistically significant improvement (p<0.001) between baseline and follow-up for all subscales on the Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire with large effect sizes (0.59–0.94). Conclusions: The Adaptation to Memory Difficulties Outcome questionnaire had good internal consistency on most scales and was responsive to change, but assesses different aspects of memory rehabilitation outcome from the Everyday Memory Questionnaire.