Original Article

Three different methods for demonstrating that gain in Functional Independence Measure increases with higher cognitive ability

Makoto Tokunaga, MD, PhD, Katsuhiko Sannomiya, PT, Taeko Ohashi, PT, Miki Yonemura, PT, Daisuke Sakata, PT, Masami Imaya, PT, Eitaro Sugitani, PT, Wataru Mitsunaga, OT, Seiya Shiiba, OT, Yukihiko Nakashima, OT
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 5: 26-32, 2014

Objective: To use three different methods to elucidate the association between the degree of improvement in the motor items of the Functional Independence Measure (motor FIM gain) and cognitive ability.
Methods: The subjects were 1,101 cerebral stroke patients admitted to Kaifukuki rehabilitation wards. Three different methods were used to investigate the association between total score on FIM cognitive items on admission (cognitive FIM on admission) and motor FIM gain: (1) multiple regression analysis with motor FIM effectiveness as the target variable, (2) multiple regression analysis with motor FIM on admission restricted to narrow bands, and (3) adjustment using a standard severity distribution.
Results: In multiple regression analysis used in methods (1) and (2), cognitive FIM on admission was selected as an explanatory variable, with a positive coefficient of regression. In method (3), mean adjusted motor FIM gain for dementia patients was lower than mean motor FIM gain for non-dementia patients.
Conclusion: All three methods were capable of showing that FIM gain increases with higher cognitive function.

Key words: FIM effectiveness, multiple regression analysis, FIM gain, stratification

Contents (volume 5)