Article

Objectives: To investigate the criterion-related validity, test-retest and
inter-rater reliabilities of the modified sphygmomanometer test (MST) for
assessment of the strength of the trunk and lower limb muscles in subjects with
chronic stroke, and to verify whether the number of trials affected the results.
Patients and methods:
Fifty-nine subjects with stroke (mean age 57.80 years;
standard deviation 13.79 years) were included in the study. Maximum isometric
strength was assessed with a hand-held dynamometer and the MST. To investigate
whether the number of trials affected the results, one-way analysis of variance
was applied. For the criterion-related validity, test-retest and inter-rater
reliabilities of the MST, Pearson correlation coefficients, coefficients of
determination, and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated.
Results: Different numbers of trials provided similar values for all assessed
muscles (0.003 </= F </= 0.08; 0.92 </= p </= 1.00) with adequate validity (0.79
</= r </= 0.90; p </= 0.001), test-retest (0.57 </= ICC </= 0.98; p </= 0.001),
and inter-rater reliabilities (0.53 </= ICC </= 0.97; p </= 0.001), except for
the inter-rater reliability of the non-paretic ankle plantar flexors. The values
obtained with the MST were good predictors of those obtained with the hand-held
dynamometer (0.57 </= r2 </= 0.79). Conclusion: In general,
the MST showed
adequate criterion-related validity, test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities
for the assessment of strength of the lower limb and trunk muscles in subjects
with chronic stroke. For the majority of the assessed muscles, only one trial,
after familiarization, provided adequate strength values.

Langue : ANGLAIS