Dyadic Capability Scale protocol targets stroke survivor-caregiver assessmentNew Tool Planned to Measure Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Support
Frontiers in MedicinePublished September 24, 2026Study authors: Eleonora Lombardi, Gianluca Pucciarelli, Federico Cortese, Vincenzo Damico, Belen Gutierrez-Baena, R…DOI ↗Editorial oversight: Dr. Ji-eun Park, MD · Brain, Mind & Pain
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Key Takeaway
Recognize this as a protocol only; no dyadic capability results are available yet.
This publication is a study protocol, not a completed trial. It describes planned development and validation of the Dyadic Capability Scale, an instrument designed to assess dyadic capability in stroke survivor-caregiver dyads. The protocol is positioned as pre-trial, and no sample size, setting, comparator, or follow-up duration is reported.
The primary outcome is dyadic capability in stroke survivor-caregiver dyads. Secondary aims include empirical refinement of the proposed conceptual framework for adaptive post-stroke care. No main results, effect sizes, absolute numbers, p-values, or confidence intervals are reported.
Safety data are not reported, including adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, and tolerability. Limitations and funding or conflicts of interest are also not reported.
The authors state that the Dyadic Capability Scale is expected to support assessment of dyadic capability and refinement of the conceptual framework for adaptive post-stroke care. Because this is a protocol for instrument development and evaluation rather than a completed study, no clinical conclusions can be drawn at this stage.
How this fits prior evidence
Prior coverage has focused on biological mechanisms, biomarkers, psychosocial risk, and rehabilitation technologies in stroke, including tubulin code modifications for phase-specific neuroprotection, methodologically fragile blood biomarker signals, psychosocial stressors linked to stroke risk, and motor recovery with MI-BCI training or immersive virtual reality. This protocol addresses a different gap: standardized assessment of the survivor-caregiver dyad. It does not confirm or extend those prior findings, and it reports no outcomes. Its relevance is methodological, proposing an instrument and framework for adaptive post-stroke care rather than testing an intervention.
Researchers are developing a new tool called the Dyadic Capability Scale. This tool is designed to measure the ability of stroke survivors and their primary caregivers to work together effectively. The goal is to better understand the partnership between patients and those who care for them.
Because this is a study protocol, no results have been collected yet. The study is currently in the planning phase to create and test the tool. Once the scale is validated, it may help healthcare providers better understand the needs of these pairs.
This work aims to improve the framework for post-stroke care. By measuring how well a caregiver and survivor function as a unit, the tool could eventually help providers offer more tailored support. Since the study is in the early planning stages, it does not provide specific treatment advice or results at this time.
What this means for you:
A new scale is being developed to measure the partnership between stroke survivors and their caregivers.
Common questions
What is the Dyadic Capability Scale?
The Dyadic Capability Scale is a tool being developed to assess the capability of stroke survivor and caregiver pairs. It aims to help measure how well these two people work together as a team. The goal is to improve the way care is planned and delivered after a stroke occurs.
Does this tool provide a new treatment for stroke survivors?
No, this is not a new treatment or medication. It is a study protocol for creating a measurement tool. Because the study is in the pre-trial phase, it does not provide specific medical advice or clinical results for stroke patients at this time.
Stroke represents a major burden for both survivors and caregivers. Although caregiver preparedness has been widely studied, it is typically assessed through self-reported measures that capture subjective perceptions rather than real-life adaptive functioning. Conventional training approaches, focused on knowledge and technical skills, often fail to support sustainable long-term care. The concept of capability may offer a more comprehensive framework for evaluating caregiving; however, it remains insufficiently operationalized and empirically validated in stroke populations.
To develop, operationalize, and empirically evaluate dyadic capability in stroke survivor–caregiver dyads.
Building on a completed and separately published systematic review and integrated concept analysis, this mixed-methods longitudinal study protocol comprises four linked empirical phases: qualitative exploration, instrument development and validation, longitudinal observational evaluation, and intervention evaluation. The protocol has been prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/sjdzp. Qualitative data will be analysed using conventional content analysis and integrated through triangulation. Psychometric evaluation will include Delphi consensus procedures and factor analyses. Quantitative data will be collected at five timepoints (pre-intervention baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months) and analysed using linear mixed-effects and dyadic (Actor–Partner Interdependence) models.
The Dyadic Capability Scale is expected to support the assessment of dyadic capability and the empirical refinement of the proposed conceptual framework for adaptive post-stroke care.
This protocol proposes a theoretically grounded and clinically applicable conceptual framework for assessing dyadic capability in post-stroke care.
