Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the reliability (test-retest and inter-rater) and
criterion-related validity of the modified sphygmomanometer test (MST) for the
assessment of upper limb muscle strength in subjects with chronic stroke, and to
determine whether the results are affected by the number of trials.
METHODS: The strength of 11 upper limb muscle groups of 57 subjects with stroke
was bilaterally assessed with portable dynamometers and the MST (measured in
mmHg). To investigate whether the number of trials would affect the results,
1-way analysis of variance was applied. For the test-retest/inter-rater
reliabilities and criterion-related validity of the MST, intra-class correlation
coefficients (ICCs), Pearson's correlation coefficients, and coefficients of
determination were calculated. RESULTS: Different numbers of trials provided
similar values for all assessed muscles (0.01 </= F </= 0.18; 0.83 </= p </=
0.99) with adequate test-retest (0.83 </= ICC </= 0.97; p < 0.0001) and
inter-rater reliabilities (0.79 </= ICC </= 0.97; p < 0.0001) and validity (0.61
</= r </= 0.95; p < 0.0001). The values obtained with the MST were good
predictors of those obtained with portable dynamometers (0.60 </= r2 </= 0.86),
except for pinch strength (0.39 </= r2 </= 0.54). CONCLUSION: The MST showed
adequate measurement properties for the assessment of the strength of the upper
limb muscles of subjects with chronic stroke. After familiarization a single
trial provided adequate strength values.

Langue : ANGLAIS