Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate: (i) the intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest
reliability of the 12-step stair test; (ii) its correlation with other
stroke-specific impairments; and (iii) the cut-off scores that best discriminate
patients with stroke from healthy elderly subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
study. SETTING: University-based rehabilitation centre. SUBJECTS: Thirty-five
subjects with chronic stroke and 29 healthy elderly subjects. METHODS: The
12-step ascend and descend test was administered along with the Fugl-Meyer Motor
Assessment for the lower extremities (FMA-LE), hand-held dynamometer measurements
of hip abductor and knee extensor muscle strength, the Five Times Sit to Stand
Test (FTSTST), assessment using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), activities-specific
balance confidence scale (ABC) assessment, the 10-metre walk test, and the Timed
"Up and Go" (TUG) test. RESULTS: The 12-step ascend and descend test showed
excellent intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliability. The test was
positively correlated with FTSTST times, gait velocity, and TUG times, and
negatively correlated with FMA-LE scores and BBS scores. A test performance of
15.22 seconds or less was shown reliably to discriminate healthy elderly subjects
from stroke survivors. CONCLUSION: The 12-step ascend and descend test is a
reliable clinical test that is inexpensive and easy to implement, and is useful
for assessing the stair-walking ability of patients with chronic stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS