Hodkinson, H.M. (1972). Evaluation of a mental test score for assessment of mental impairment in the elderly. Age and Ageing, 1972, 223-237.

A mental test score consisting of 26 questions testing memory and orientation was used in a large inpatient study of mental impariment of the elderly. Analysis shows that the questions varied considerably in their discriminatory value. Deletion of the less effective questions results in an abbreviated test of ten questions with similar discriminatory powers to the full test. Shorter tests of this kind are recommended for further practical evaluation in geriatric departments.

Woodford, H.J. & George, J. (2007). Cognitive assessment in the elderly: a review of clinical methods. Q J Med, 100 469-484.

This paper reviews the screening tests available to detect the presence of cognitive impairment. They propose to have a role in screening selected populations, such s geriatric patients seen in hospital emergency departments and clinics. Shorter tests do not assess frontal/executive function, and this may lead to patients functioning less well in their home environment than predicted.

In Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, (2012), 79(3), 167-174. Authors: Fioravanti, A. M., Bordignon, C. M., Pettit, S. M., Woodhouse, L. J., & Ansley, B. J.
The purpose of the journal was to compare the AMPS and the FIM on an inpatient rehabilitation unit. A retrospective chart review of AMPS measures and FIMS scores at admission and discharge was undertaken. No significant difference was found in the ability of the AMPS motor and FIM motor scales to detect change. The AMPS process scale was more responsive to change than the FIM cognitive scale. Using the AMPS as an assessment to evaluate outcomes allows therapists to detect changes that may not be detected through the exclusive use of the FIM.

In Disability and Rehabilitation, (1995) 17(1), 10-14. Authors: Kidd, D., Stewart, G., Baldry, J., Johnson, J., Rossiter, D., Petruckevitch, A., & Thompson, A. J.
In this study the FIM was compared to the Barthel Index to determine its validity, reliability and ease of use in two groups of 25 patients undergoing neurorehabilitation. The FIM was considered to be more valid that the BI, and equally reliable in the assessment of disability.

Previous studies examining the relationship between cognition and ability to benefit from inpatient rehabilitation have found cognitive dysfunction to be associated with a poor rehabilitation outcome. To examine whether cognitive dysfunction precluded effective rehabilitation, 52 consecutive admissions to a geriatric rehabilitation unit were assigned Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Functional gains were assessed by the change in Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score from admission to discharge. Neither MMSE score alone nor in combination with age was significantly associated with change in FIM (r = 0.10; R = 0.25; P r = 0.58; R = 0.58; P r = 0.49; R = 0.51; P . <0.0001) and discharge><0.0004). Patients evidenced a similar increase in functional status regardless of cognitive ability, but cognitively impaired individuals entered the inpatient unit with a lower functional status, and their level of function at discharge was also impaired relative to cognitively intact cohorts. Low MMSE scores were associated with a greater likelihood of nursing home placement, but a considerable percentage (38%) of individuals with severe cognitive impairment returned home following discharge. These findings suggest that geriatric patients with cognitive dysfunction should be considered for admission to rehabilitation programs if functional gains will affect quality of life or disposition.

In Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2007, 5(74), 370-381. Authors: Douglas, A., Liu, L., Warren, S., & Hooper, T.

The purpose of the above article was to examine standardised and non-standardised assessments used by Canadian occupational therapists to evaluate cognition. 1042 Canadian Occupational Therapists completed a questionnaire. The study described a wide range of cognitive assessment used with older adults. The survey into the practice of cognitive assessment demonstrated that the majority of therapists who use top-down assessments were using non-standardised assessments. The top-down assessments fitted with the theoretical approach, which for occupational therapists emphasised client-centeredness and the importance of meaningful activity.

In Brain Injury, 2008, 22(9), 669-683. Authors: Nott, M. T., Chapparo, C., & Heard, R.
This article investigated the effectiveness of OT with adults in PTA following brain injury. Patients were monitored using the Westmead PTA scale. Therapy was based on an assessment and intervention and using the approach that directly links the results of a cognitive tasks analysis with strategies for intervention to improve a patient ability occupational performance.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2009, 63(5), 592-599. Authors: Hartman-Maeir, A., Harel, H., & Katz., N.

The Kettle Test is a brief, cognitive-functional measure that assesses actual performance on a familiar task to the patient. The results of the study support reliability and validity in stroke rehabilitation. Due to the shortness of the Kettle Test it can be used in a diverse population of settings and pertains to community living.

Meares, S., Shores, E. A., Taylor, A. J., Lammel, A., & Batchelor, J. (2011). Brain Injury, 25(12), 1198-1205.
The objective of this article was to validate the use of the abbreviated Westmead post-traumatic amnesia scale (A-WPTAS) in the assessment of acute cognitive impairment in mild traumatic brain injury. The A-WPTAS was found to be a valid measure.