Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of an innovative approach for assessing everyday
life activities of people with multiple sclerosis (MS): Actual Reality. Actual
Reality is a performance-based assessment approach that involves the use of the
internet to perform real, everyday life activities. DESIGN: A between-subjects
design. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation institute. PARTICIPANTS: Persons
(n=21) with clinically definite MS and healthy controls (HCs) (n=18) without any
reported neurologic disabilities participated in this study. Participants were
between the ages of 21 to 60 years, and the sample consisted of volunteer sample.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were asked to
access the internet to purchase airline tickets for a round trip flight and were
administered the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Functioning in Multiple
Sclerosis. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess quality of life
(Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis), functional status (Functional
Behavior Profile), and prior Internet experience. RESULTS: The MS group displayed
significantly more difficulties than the HC group in accurately and independently
completing the Actual Reality task primarily because of cognitive impairment.
Self-report of quality of life and functional status were not correlated with
Actual Reality performance in the group of people with MS. However, the
self-report measures were significantly associated with affective symptomatology.
CONCLUSIONS: These results provide initial evidence supporting the use of the
Actual Reality approach in assessing persons with MS performing everyday life
activities. Actual Reality is a significant step forward in increasing the
sensitivity, accessibility, and relevancy of functional assessments in people
with cognitive and physical disabilities.
CI - Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS