Article

Current dynamic walking tests, used in studies with older adults with
dementia, rely strongly on healthy cognitive and physical function. Therefore,
the Groningen Meander Walking Test (GMWT) was developed specifically for people
with dementia. The aim of the GMWT is to measure dynamic walking ability by
walking over a meandering curved line, with an emphasis on walking speed and
stepping accuracy, while changing direction. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study
was to investigate the feasibility, test-retest reliability, and minimal
detectable change (MDC) of the GMWT. DESIGN: A repeated-measures design was used.
METHODS: Forty-two people with dementia participated in the study. Adherence
rate, adverse events, repetition of instructions during test performance, test
duration, and number of oversteps were assessed. RESULTS: The adherence rate was
excellent, with no adverse events. No repetitive instructions were given during
test performance, and test duration was short (mean=17.16 seconds) with few
oversteps (mean=1.94 oversteps). Test-retest reliability for participants without
a walking device was excellent for the GMWT time score (intraclass correlation
coefficient [ICC]=.942), with an MDC of 2.96 seconds. Test-retest reliability for
participants with a 4-wheeled walker (4WW) was moderate (ICC=.837), with an MDC
of 10.35 seconds. For the overstep score, a marginal ICC of .630 was found, with
an MDC of 4.38 oversteps. LIMITATIONS: No fall data were available, and there was
a volunteer bias. CONCLUSIONS: The GMWT is a feasible test for people with
dementia. With the GMWT time score, a reliable and sensitive field test to
measure walking abilities in older adults with dementia is available. The GMWT
overstep score can be used to give information about the execution according to
protocol and should be emphasized during the instructions. Future studies need to
investigate the validity of the GMWT.

Langue : ANGLAIS