Dynamic Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment: Evaluation of Potential to Change in Cognitive Performance

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KEY WORDS

* cognition

* cognition disorders

* outcome and process assessment (health care)

* patient care planning

* psychometrics

* stroke

OBJECTIVE. We studied the psychometric properties of the dynamic version of the Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (DLOTCA) and examined the most frequent level of mediation used for planning for intervention.

METHOD. Participants included 83 clients hospitalized after first stroke (mean age 5 57.7, standard deviation 5 8.33) and 45 healthy control participants. All were assessed with the DLOTCA after providing informed consent.

RESULTS. Interrater reliability showed high correlations between all pairs of raters. Internal consistency reliability showed moderate to high as (.602-.813) for all domains except Visual Perception. We found significant differences between the groups of participants before mediation; both benefited from mediation, showing moderate to high effect sizes. Stroke clients needed higher levels of mediation.

CONCLUSION. The DLOTCA is effective in providing insight into whether participants need mediation and the level and type of assistance they require. The DLOTCA provides guidance for planning intervention for people with cognitive disabilities.

Katz, N., Bar-Haim Erez, A., Livni, L., & Averbuch, S. (2012). Dynamic Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment: Evaluation of potential to change in cognitive performance. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 207-214. http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2012.002469

The Dynamic Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (DLOTCA) is a new version of the Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment battery (Itzkovich, Averbuch, Elazar, & Katz, 2000) used to assess basic cognitive skills in adult populations. The DLOTCA uses, with the author's permission, mediation guidelines and scoring based on Toglia's (1994) ideas and system, also pursuant to work done with children and adaptation of the specific subtests of the assessment. The LOTCA batteries progressed from the LOTCA to the LOTCA Geriatric, to the Dynamic Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment for Children (DOTCA-Ch), and then to the DLOTCA and DLOTCA Geriatric (DLOTCA-G; Bar-Haim Erez, & Katz, 2003; Elazar, Itzkovich, & Katz, 1996; Itzkovich et al., 2000; Katz, Averbuch, & Bar-Haim Erez, 2011; Katz, Golstand, Traub Bar-Ilan, & Parush, 2007; Katz, Itzkovich, Averbuch, & Elazar, 1989; Katz, Livni, Bar-Haim Erez, & Averbuch, 2011; Katz, Parush, & Traub Bar-Ilan, 2005).

Occupational therapists are in a unique position to assess and treat cognitive deficits in neurological populations to facilitate their participation in all areas...