The reading the mind in the eyes test short form (A & B): validation and outcomes in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cohort

Abstract

Objective: Deficits in social cognition are part of the cognitive phenotype of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study investigated the psychometric properties and test-retest reliability of two short-form versions of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. Method: Patients with ALS (n = 50), alongside age and IQ matched controls (n = 50) were recruited. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) was apportioned according to previously published psychometric properties yielding two short forms. The internal consistency, test–retest reliability, item difficulty, and discrimination coefficient were computed to determine the utility of the short forms. Two one-sided t-test (TOST) assessed equivalency, and a ROC curve analysis determined a cutoff for impairment. Results: Cronbach’s Alpha > 0.7 was observed for the RMET Short Form A and RMET Short Form B, indicating adequate internal consistency. Both RMET Short Forms had excellent psychometric properties when discriminating between ALS patients who performed well, compared to those who did not, with an overall medium difficulty coefficient observed. The TOST found the short forms to be equivalent. Conclusion: Social cognition is an important cognitive construct in ALS, as is its measurement. This study contributes not only to the psychometric knowledge of this measure, but also to the usability, efficacy, reliability, and repeatability of two short forms.

Keywords:

• Social cognition
• ALS
• short form
• neuropsychology

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all those who participated in this research study.

Declaration of interest statement

No conflict of interest was reported by Tom Burke, Emmet Costello, Katie Lonergan, Marta Pinto-Grau, Colm Peelo, Mark Heverin, and Niall Pender. Prof. Orla Hardiman has received speaking honoraria from Janssen Cilag, Biogen Idec, Sanofi Aventis, Novartis and MerckSerono. She has been a member of advisory panels for Biogen Idec, Allergen, Ono Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Cytokinetics and Sanofi Aventis. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia.

Data availability

The dataset analyzed during the current study are available from Mr Mark Heverin, Research Manager, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This research was conducted through funding from the Health Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 259867, ALSA (the ALS Association), HRB (the Health Research Board, grant H01300), Joint Program in Neurodegeneration (JPND), Research Motor Neuron (previously named Motor Neuron Disease Research Foundation), the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience (IICN), and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) grant 16/ERCD/3854, grant number 205532.

This research was conducted through funding from the Health Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 259867, ALSA (the ALS Association), HRB (the Health Research Board, grant H01300), Joint Program in Neurodegeneration (JPND), Research Motor Neuron (previously named Motor Neuron Disease Research Foundation), the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience (IICN), and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) grant 16/ERCD/3854, grant number 205532.