The Berg Balance Scale is the most widely used clinical scale used to assess balance performance in neurological conditions. Reliability is not an unalterable value of a scale across different applications, but is a property referring to the results obtained with the scale, not the instrument in itself. The results of a scale can vary depending on the context where it is applied and the characteristics of the participants, therefore the reliability coefficient should be reported in each study. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the reliability coefficients obtained in different applications of the test with the data at hand is the best method to examine how the reliability of a test scores varies. The objectives of this systematic revision are: To determine the mean of internal consistency, intra and interrater reliability of the Berg balance scale in the clinical, nonclinical and mixed populations, to determine the methodological and substantive characteristics and to propose a predictive model enabling researchers and clinicians to use it in the future to estimate the expected reliability based on the characteristics of the most relevant studies. The MEDLINE (Pubmed), EMBASE and CINAHL databases were searched from 1989 to 2015. Two reviewers independently selected empirical studies published in English or in Spanish that applied the Berg Balance Scale and reported any reliability coefficient. The 80 samples in the 65 studies reported any the Berg Balance Scale reliability estimate. Coefficient alpha ranged from 0.62 to .98, with a mean of 0.92. For intra-rater agreement, the mean intraclass correlation was ICC+=0.957, and for inter-rater agreement ICC+=0.97. The SD of the Berg Balance Scale scores presented statistically significant relationships with the coefficient alpha and with ICC (intra-rater). In addition, the clinical population and the institutionalized population presented statistically significant relationships with the coefficient alpha. The sample size and mean scale results were also statistically related to ICCs (intra-rater). The alpha coefficient and intra- and inter-rater agreement for Berg Balance Scale scores was very satisfactory. Several characteristics of the studies were statistically associated to the alpha coefficient and with intra-rater reliability.

Elbow arthropathy is characteristic in patients with hemophilia. Arthropathy is manifested by decreased range of motion, pain, loss of strength and muscular atrophy, and axial changes. The objective is to evaluate the safety of two physiotherapy programs combining manual therapy and home exercises with educational sessions in patients with hemophilic elbow arthropathy. This is a randomized study with 27 patients with elbow hemophilic arthropathy with a mean age of 34.48 (SD: 12.99) years, were randomised to Manual Therapy group, educational group and control group. The physiotherapy programmes were: manual therapy through joint traction, passive muscles stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation; and educational sessions and daily home exercises. The study lasted for twelve weeks, with two sessions a week in manual therapy group and one session every two weeks with daily home exercises in educational group. The variables measured were range of motion of elbow, biceps strength, circumference of arm, and elbow pain. The treatment with manual therapy improved the circumference of arm, flexion elbow and elbow pain. Six months later, MT group still enjoyed improved. In the educational group there were improvements, but not significant, in the measured variables. Neither of the two physiotherapy interventions caused elbow hemarthrosis. The treatment with manual therapy improved the range of movement and circumference of arm, and lessened pain in hemophilic patients with chronic elbow arthropathy. No hemarthrosis was recorded during treatment or during the follow-up period. Larger randomized clinical trials are required to confirm the results of this study. ( NCT02198040 ). Registered 22 July 2014, retrospectively registered.

Resilience has been defined as the capacity or the ability to rebound from and positively adapt to significant stressors, despite experiences of significant adversity or trauma. To capture to what extent an individual copes with stress in a resilient fashion the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) was developed. This tool was validated in people with chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis using standard psychometric techniques of classical test theory, but not yet in patients with Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale in patients with SLE using Rasch analysis. This study used cross-sectional data. The BRCS was administered to 232 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The aspects analyzed were unidimensionality, local independence and differential item functioning (DIF) to construct an interpretative scale of scores with the Rasch model. Rating scale mode (RSM) showed that the four categories used in the items of the BRCS are properly ordered. The four items provided a good fit to the polytomous Rasch model. Moreover, the parameters were sufficiently separated to measure resilience in patients with SLE. BRCS is a unidimensional scale (eigenvalue = 1.843) of resilience and the items were locally independent. There was no DIF between males and females in the sample. Only marginally significant differences depending on the level of education were found. The BRCS showed adequate discriminant validity between groups of scores. BRCS is a suitable scale for measuring resilience in patients with SLE. This scale might be useful for clinicians to obtain information concerning the degree of resilience that each patient has, allowing individuals with low resilience to be identified who need interventions aimed at developing coping skills.

In recent years there has been a significant rise in the number of psychometric studies, together with crucial statistical advances for validity and reliability measures. Given the importance of providing accurate procedures both in methodology and score interpretation of tests and/or measurement scales, the editors-in-chief of the journal Annals of Psychology have drafted this guide to address the most relevant issues in the field of applied psychometry. To this end, the present manuscript analyses the main topics under the Classical Test Theory framework (e.g., exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis; reliability, validity, bias, etc.) aiming to synthesize and clarify the best practical applications, and improve publication standards. Recientemente se ha incrementado significativamente el número de estudios psicométricos junto a avances estadísticos cruciales para evaluar la fiabilidad y validez de los tests. Dada la importancia de proporcionar procedimientos más exactos tanto en la metodología como en la interpretación de las puntuaciones, los editores de la revista Anales de Psicología proponen esta guía para abordar los tópicos más relevantes en el campo de la psicometría aplicada. Con esta finalidad, el presente manuscrito analiza los tópicos principales de la Teoría Clásica de Tests (e.g., análisis factorial exploratorio/confirmatorio, fiabilidad, validez, sesgo, etc.) con vistas a sintetizar y clarificar las aplicaciones prácticas, y mejorar los estándares de publicación de estos trabajos.

Haemophilic arthropathy of the ankle causes pain and deterioration in gait, causing disability. Although some physiotherapy modalities are effective in the management of acute bleeding, the results are unknown in chronic arthropathy. Our objective was to determine the most effective physiotherapy procedures for treating the haemophilic arthropathy of the ankle and to assess the methodological quality of the studies. A systematic review was carried out in the Cochrane Database, PubMed, MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge, PEDro, TESEO, and specialized journals (Haemophilia and Haematologica). It included articles with at least one group undergoing any kind of physiotherapy treatment and with pretest and posttest evaluation, published before April 2013. An analysis of variables was performed and assessed the methodological quality of studies. Five studies met the criteria for inclusion. Hydrotherapy treatments, strength training and balance strength, balance training, and sports therapy, have improved range of movement, pain, balance, and subjective physical performance. The proposed methodological analysis was not possible due to the low quality of the studies. Although the results are positive, they lack rigorous evidence on the effects of treatments. Studies are needed to establish the efficacy of the various forms of physiotherapy in the haemophilic arthropathy of the ankle.

Dementia is a progressive decline in cognitive functions caused by an alteration in the pattern of neural network connections. There is an inability to create new neuronal connections, producing behavioral disorders. The most evident alteration in patients with neurodegenerative diseases is the alteration of sleep–wake behavior. The aim of this study was to test the effect of two non-pharmacological interventions, therapeutic exercise (TE) and non-invasive neuromodulation through the NESA device (NN) on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and cognitive function of 30 patients diagnosed with dementia (non-invasive neuromodulation experimental group (NNG): mean ± SD, age: 71.6 ± 7.43 years; therapeutic exercise experimental group (TEG) 75.2 ± 8.63 years; control group (CG) 80.9 ± 4.53 years). The variables were evaluated by means of the Pittsburg Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Mini-Cognitive Exam Test at four different times during the study: at baseline, after 2 months (after completion of the NNG), after 5 months (after completion of the TEG), and after 7 months (after 2 months of follow-up). Participants in the NNG and TEG presented significant improvements with respect to the CG, and in addition, the NNG generated greater relevant changes in the three variables with respect to the TEG (sleep quality (p = 0.972), daytime sleepiness (p = 0.026), and cognitive function (p = 0.127)). In conclusion, with greater effects in the NNG, both treatments were effective to improve daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and cognitive function in the dementia population.