ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Standardized scales are a prerequisite for rehabilitation and research. This study was designed to determine the reliability and validity of scores on items of the trunk assessment of the Melsbroek Disability Scoring Test (MDST) and Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). SUBJECTS: Thirty people with MS participated in the study. METHODS: Interrater and test-retest reliability and construct validity were assessed. RESULTS: Kappa and weighted kappa values for the items of the trunk assessment of the MDST ranged from .74 to .95, and the kappa and weighted kappa values for the TIS items ranged from .46 to 1.00. Intraclass correlation coefficients for interrater and test-retest agreement were .93 and .92, respectively, for the trunk assessment of the MDST and .97 and .95, respectively, for the TIS. Bland-Altman analysis showed consistency of scores without observer bias. Construct validity was established. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The MDST and TIS provide reliable assessments of the trunk and are valid scales for measuring trunk performance in people with MS.
Subject(s)
Abdomen/physiopathology , Disability Evaluation , Multiple Sclerosis/physiopathology , Thorax/physiopathology , Activities of Daily Living , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Movement/physiology , Postural Balance/physiology , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To quantify the effects of vision and arm position on arm postural tremor, comparisons were made between flexed and extended arm positions performed with the eyes open and closed. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: National multiple sclerosis (MS) center in Belgium. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen patients (32 arms) with MS who had intention tremor and 16 healthy controls (32 arms). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The amplitude of postural tremor was assessed by a magnetic position sensor attached to the index finger. RESULTS: The amplitude of postural tremor was not influenced by changes in visual condition or different arm positions. Both healthy controls and MS patients made more directional changes in the flexed, compared with the extended arm position. CONCLUSIONS: The amplitude of the arm postural tremor in MS is independent of vision and arm position. Selecting 1 arm position is sufficient to assess postural tremor amplitude.