Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine the test-retest reliability of the Neuromuscular Recovery
Scale (NRS), a measure to classify lower extremity and trunk recovery of
individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to typical preinjury performance of
functional tasks without use of external and behavioral compensation. DESIGN:
Multicenter observational study. SETTING: Five outpatient rehabilitation clinics.
PARTICIPANTS: Physical therapists (N=13), trained and competent in conducting
NRS, rated outpatients with SCI (N=69) using the NRS. Testing occurred on 2 days,
separated by 24 to 48 hours, on the same patient by the same therapist.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Spearman rank correlation
coefficients to compare NRS results. The NRS scores of motor performance were
based on normal, preinjury function on 11 items: 4 treadmill-based items
(standing and stepping), 7 overground/mat items (sitting, sit-up, reverse sit-up,
trunk extension, sit to stand, standing, walking). RESULTS: Test-retest
reliability was very strong for the NRS items. Ten of the 11 items exhibited
Spearman correlation coefficients >/=.92, and lower bounds of the 95% confidence
intervals (CIs) for these items met or exceeded .83. The exception was stand
retraining (rho=.84; 95% CI, .68-.96). The test-retest reliability of the
measurement model-derived summary score was very strong (rho=.99; 95% CI,
.96-.99). CONCLUSIONS: The NRS had excellent test-retest reliability when
conducted by trained therapists in adults with chronic SCI across all levels of
injury severity. All raters had undergone standardized training in use of the
NRS. The minimal requirement of training to achieve test-retest reliability has
not been established.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS