Article

Previous research using the streamlined Wolf Motor Function Test
(SWMFT) has focused either on the 3- to 9-month period or on the >12-month period
after stroke and lacked the information for those at 9 to 12 months. Whether
SWMFT scores reflect motor deficit and recovery from early to late stages after
stroke remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study using the Functional
Ability Scale (FAS) was conducted to evaluate whether all SWMFTs items measure
the poststroke recovery of upper extremity (UE) motor function and if they could
be used for patients within 9 to 12 months after a stroke. METHODS: Rasch
analysis was conducted, and data were drawn from patients 3 months to years after
a stroke. RESULTS: The continuum of UE motor function in SWMFT-FAS was supported.
Subacute patients had the best motor function, followed by the 9- to 12-month
group, and then chronic patients. Variation in UE motor function was large
(2.35-2.72 logits), and motor abilities of these 3 groups overlapped. The 8 SWMFT
items could target a broad range of UE motor function, from -8.28 to 7.80 logits.
The average difficulty of these 8 items also matched the UE motor ability of the
subgroup at 9 to 12 months after stroke, and individual versions of the SWMFT
performed well to assess the motor ability of this group. CONCLUSIONS: The SWMFTs
had sound hierarchical properties. The SWMFT-Chronic or the SWMFT-Subacute could
be used to evaluate UE function of this subgroup at 9 to 12 months after stroke.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS