Article

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the reliability and validity of
the Trunk Control Test (TCT) in people with adult neuromuscular diseases (NMD).
SUBJECTS: Sixty six people with NMD participated in the study. METHODS: Patients
were evaluated using the TCT, manual muscle test (trunk,
upper and lower
extremities), Motor Function Measurement (MFM), Functional Independency
Measurement (FIM) and the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI). RESULTS: Test-retest
reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients) was excellent for the TCT. The
intraclass correlation coefficient score was 0.979 (95% confidence interval
0.968-0.986). Cronbach alpha value was 0.749, and item-to-total correlation
coefficient for "rolling from supine to the dominant side," "rolling from supine
to the other side" and "sitting up from lying down" was (r = 0.61), (r = 0.57)
and (r = 0.92), respectively, for construct validity. The TCT was found to be
correlated with MFM (r = 0.57), MFM trunk (r = 0.62), trunk muscle strength (r =
0.61), shoulder flexion muscle strength (r = 0.39), hip flexion muscle strength
(r = 0.39), FIM (r = 0.35), FIM motor (r = 0.66) and RMI (r = 0.39) for convergent validity. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that the TCT is an easy,
reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of trunk performance in
ambulatory NMD patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS