The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) is the gold standard assessment of adults with disorders of consciousness (DoC); however few studies have examined the psychometric properties of the CRS-R in pediatric populations. This study aimed to demonstrate preliminary intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the CRS-R in children with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Participants included 3 individuals (ages 10, 15, and 17 years) previously admitted to an inpatient pediatric neurorehabilitation unit with DoC after ABI who were followed in an outpatient brain injury clinic due to ongoing severe disability. ABI etiology included traumatic brain injury (TBI; n=2) and encephalitis (n=1). Study participation took place on average 4.6 years after injury (range 2-9). The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended, Pediatric Version (GOS-E Peds), a measure of outcome after pediatric brain injury, was administered as part of screening. Two participants were placed in the GOS-E Peds “lower severe disability” category (i.e., score of 6) and one was placed in the “upper severe disability” category (i.e., score of 5). The CRS-R includes 6 subscales measuring responsivity including Auditory (range 0-4), Visual (range 05), Motor (range 0-6), Oromotor/Verbal (range 03), Communication (range 0-2), and Arousal (range 0-3) with higher scores indicating higherlevel function. Subscales are totaled for a CRS-R Total score. Behaviors shown during the CRS-R are used to determine state of DoC [Vegetative State (VS), Minimally Conscious State (MCS) or emergence from a minimally conscious state (eMCS)] based on 2002 Aspen Guidelines. Participants were administered the CRS-R three consecutive times on the same day. Administrations were completed by two raters in this order: Rater 1 (1A), Rater 1 (1B) and Rater 2. Intra-rater reliability was deemed by percent agreement across the 6 subscales between Rater 1A and 1B. Inter-rater reliability was deemed by percent agreement across the 6 subscales between 1A and 2.

Mean CRS-R Total score for Rater 1A was 22 (SD=1.73, range 20-23), Rater 1B was 22 (SD=1.73, range 20-23), and Rater 2 was 21.33 (SD=2.08, range 19-23). Intra-rater reliability was 100% and inter-rater reliability was 94% across all subscales. All participants were deemed eMCS at all 3 ratings.

Data from this very small sample of children suggests that the CRS-R demonstrates both intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in patients with a history of DoC after ABI. Given that all children were at the high end of the scale (eMCS), further research is needed with a larger sample of children with a range of states of DoC.