Dynamic Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment: Evaluation of Potential to Change in Cognitive Performance

Objective: We studied the psychometric properties of the dynamic version of the Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (DLOTCA) and examined the most frequent level of mediation used for planning for intervention.

Method: Participants included 83 clients hospitalized after first stroke (mean age = 57.7, standard deviation = 8.33) and 45 healthy control participants. All were assessed with the DLOTCA after providing informed consent.

Results: Interrater reliability showed high correlations between all pairs of raters. Internal consistency reliability showed moderate to high αs (.602-.813) for all domains except Visual Perception. We found significant differences between the groups of participants before mediation; both benefited from mediation, showing moderate to high effect sizes. Stroke clients needed higher levels of mediation.

Conclusion: The DLOTCA is effective in providing insight into whether participants need mediation and the level and type of assistance they require. The DLOTCA provides guidance for planning intervention for people with cognitive disabilities.