Clinical significance of an easy-to-use dual task for assessing inattention

Abstract

Purpose To investigate clinical significance of a newly developed paper-and-pencil type dual-task (Oiso-DT) for assessing inattention of brain-damaged patients. Methods A total of 134 healthy individuals and 44 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were the subjects. Oiso-DT combined a cancelation sub-task and a written calculation sub-task on paper. The performance was scored based on the correct rate (CR) and success rate in the cancelation sub-task, and the number of correct answers and CR in the calculation sub-task for three minutes. Performances of Clinical Assessment for Attention (CAT) developed by The Japan Society for Higher Brain Dysfunction were also measured in TBI patients. Results Based on a simple and unique definition of cutoff values, abnormal performance was detected more often in the Oiso-DT than in any sub-task of CAT including Symbol Digit Modalities Test, The Memory Updating Test and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task, etc. although the specificity was comparable. Conclusion This easy-to-use Oiso-DT might be valuable and sensitive for detecting inattention including mild deficit.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• The Oiso-DT, a paper-and-pencil clinical test for assessing inattention demonstrates higher sensitivity for traumatic-brain-injury patients than standard neuropsychological tests.

• The task performance is evaluated by a simple and unique method without specific equipment or even a personal computer.

• The Oiso-DT might be valuable for detecting inattention including mild deficit.

• The Oiso-DT is easily applicable to patients with severe inattention who failed to complete complex tasks like paced auditory serial addition task.

Keywords:

• Cutoff values
• diagnostic sensitivity
• Oiso dual-task
• traumatic brain injury

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the all of the staff members from the Division of Occupational Therapy and Division of Speech Therapy in Tokai University Oiso Hospital for their assistance in collecting the cognitive data. The authors are especially grateful to Hiroshi Ohta, MD, the director of Ohta Atami General Hospital, for providing valuable information on the patients.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Funding information

Minoru Toyokura holds a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japanese MEXT (The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) [Grant No. 21650142].