Selective motor control of the lower extremities in children with cerebral palsy: inter-rater reliability of two tests.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-rater reliability of two tests measuring selective motor control (SMC) of the lower extremities in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHODS:

Two testers independently assessed 21 children (13 boys, eight girls; mean age 6 years 5 months, SD 12 months) with spastic CP (14 unilateral and seven bilateral) using the Boyd and Graham SMC test (with an existing protocol) and the modified Trost SMC test (with a newly developed protocol). Inter-rater reliability was analysed using Cohen's Kappa.

RESULTS:

For the Boyd and Graham SMC test for ankle dorsiflexion, Kappa was 0.55 (95% CI = 0.36-0.74). For the modified Trost SMC test for ankle dorsiflexion, knee extension, hip abduction and hip flexion, Kappas were 0.65 (0.47-0.84), 0.69 (0.49-0.88), 0.57 (0.37-0.78) and 0.71 (0.51-0.91), respectively.

CONCLUSION:

The SMC tests showed moderate (Boyd and Graham SMC test) to good (modified Trost SMC test) inter-rater reliability.

• Authors: Dirk-Wouter Smits, Annerieke C van Groenestijn, Marjolijn Ketelaar, Vanessa A Scholtes, Jules G Becher, Jan Willem Gorter
• Journal: Developmental neurorehabilitation (Dev Neurorehabil) Vol. 13 Issue 4 Pg. 258-65 ( 2010) ISSN: 1751-8431 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20629592 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Cerebral Palsy (diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Humans
• Lower Extremity (physiopathology)
• Male
• Movement (physiology)
• Muscle, Skeletal (physiopathology)
• Reproducibility of Results
• Severity of Illness Index