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Advanced Neurology Cognitive assessment using performance-based tests

Figure 1. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram

TBI participants were a subgroup of a larger sample, and scoping review by providing a brief overview of the body of
six studies were of TBI participants only. Information on evidence for the included assessments.
mean ages for TBI participants is provided in Table 3 with Among the 18 assessments, eight were made up of
the age ranges predominantly representing young adults. a series of subtasks simulating real-world tasks. The
Time since injury, timing of assessment administration, naturalistic action test (NAT) and the executive function
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and severity of TBI participants varied across the studies, 21
making comparison difficult. TBI severity was not and performance test (EFPT) are examples of assessments
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consistently defined or documented for all assessments, with multiple subtasks. NAT consists of three tasks;
making it difficult to interpret the assessment’s applicability making toast with two spreads, wrapping a child’s present,
to TBI subgroups, such as mild to moderate or severe TBI. and packing a child’s bag for school. In contrast, criterion-
The sample sizes were generally small, with seven of the referenced assessments, such as the assessment of motor
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studies with TBI participants having sample sizes of <30. and process skills (AMPS) and the perceive, recall,
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The test of functional executive abilities was an exception plan, perform (PRPP) system, and use multiple tasks
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and had the largest TBI sample with 340 TBI participants. to determine an overall score or percentage. Eight of the
assessments include tasks that test novel problem-solving
Table 3 summarizes the results from the QuADS as their means of assessment.
assessment tool, presenting details data on each study in
relation to methodological and reporting quality. Each Factors influencing clinical applicability for acute
criterion in QuADS is rated from 0 to 3, with a total of 39 care are summarized in Table 4. A wide range of time to
for each study. Scores on the appraisal tool ranged from administer tests was identified, with up to 3 h to administer
11 for the hotel task to 25 for the functional cognitive the executive secretarial task. Notably, the time to
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task. Appraisal of the included studies was intended to administer the assessment was not always documented,
provide further information for the review but cannot and the time to score and document assessments was not
be used to make conclusions regarding the quality of the reported for any assessments. All assessments in the review
studies. As a recently developed tool, QuADS adds to the had manuals available, some by contacting the assessment
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Volume 4 Issue 1 (2025) 57 doi: 10.36922/an.4508