ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To verify the interrater and intrarater reliability of Korean Wolf Motor Function Test (K-WMFT) for assessing upper extremity function after stroke. METHOD: Twenty patients with chronic hemiparesis after stroke participated in the study. The Wolf Motor Function Test consists of 15 functional tasks. Performances were timed and rated by functional ability scale. The K-WMFT were administered to the subjects by an occupational therapist. All test sessions were videotaped and scored by 2 physiatrists and another occupational therapist to examine interrater reliability. They were reevaluated at a later time by the same occupational therapist to examine intrarater reliability. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficient of the performance time of K-WMFT was 0.94 and that of the functional ability scale of K-WMFT was 0.99. Intrarater correlation coefficient of the performance time of K-WMFT was 1.00 and that of the functional ability scale of K-WMFT was 0.97. CONCLUSION: The interrater and intrarater reliability of K- WMFT were verified. K-WMFT can be used as a reliable tool to measure upper extremity function of the stroke patients in Korea.
Subject(s)
Humans , Arm , Korea , Paresis , Rehabilitation , Stroke , Upper Extremity , WolvesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We developed the Cognitive Perceptual Assessment for Driving (CPAD) to assess the driving ability of people with acquired brain injury. To find out the usefulness of this tool as a screening test for safe driving, we compared it with the Cognitive Behavioral Driver's Inventory (CBDI). METHOD: Subjects were 101 people with acquired brain injury who had driven a car before the injury. Each subject was evaluated with CPAD and CBDI. CPAD consisted of 8 tasks and 10 variables. We calculated CPAD score using 10 variables and compared CPAD with CBDI result and score. RESULTS: The average CPAD score was 49.65 7.97. According to CBDI test, the number of CBDI passing group was 36, borderline group was 27, and failing group was 38. CPAD variables and score showed significant correlation with CBDI score (p<0.05). There was significant difference in CPAD variables and score among the 3 groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: CPAD can be a useful tool for assessing the driving ability of the people with acquired brain injury.
Subject(s)
Brain Injuries , Brain , Mass ScreeningABSTRACT
PURPOSE: A clinical diagnosis of meningitis is difficult because of the paucity of physical findings in children. Not all of the meningitis patients show nuchal rigidity, Kernig's sign or Brudzinski's sign. Lumbar punctures were done because of unexplained fever, changes in behavioral or mental status, seizures or skin petechiae in febrile patients. But sometimes cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) findings are not compatible with menigitis for those whose clinical symptoms indicate menigitis. Pediatricians are frequently confronted to the problem of a sick child whose CSF has no white blood cells but the child has a meningeal irritation sign. Therefore, the levels of CSF beta2 microglobulin from children with positive meinigeal irritation signs were examined to evaluate the diagnosis of meinigitis. METHODS: From March to August 2002, We examined the levels of CSF beta2 microglobulin from children with positive meningeal irritation signs by competitive radioimmunoassay in 35 suspected meingitis patients and 12 control patients in the Department of Pediatrics of Chungnam National University Hospital. RESULTS: In 35 suspected menigitis patients, 20 patients were diagnosed as meningitis and 15 patients were no evidence of meningitis in their CSF findings. In the WBC counts of the CSF, meinigitis patients had 268/mm3 and meningismus patient had 2.3/ mm3 on average. In the levels of the CSF beta2 microglobulin concentrations, the two groups were not different. For the 20 meningitis patiens, the average value was 0.193+/-0.054 while it was 0.169+/-0.028 for the 15 meningismus patients and 0.102+/-0.021 for the 12 control patients(P0.05) CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that the meningeal irritation sign is a meaningful sign for meningitis but the initial CSF findings do not always confirm the diagnosis. So, if patients have a meningeal irritation sign, the patient should be carefully examined and additional diagnostic tools such as the CSF beta2 microglobulin concentration can be used.