Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate face and construct validity of the Gait Deviation Index
(GDI) in adults with spastic cerebral palsy. The International Classification of
Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used as a framework, defining gait
and walking as the manner or style of walking ("body function"), and the
execution of gait ("activity"), respectively. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.
METHODS: Participants: 66 adults with spastic cerebral palsy, mean age 37 years,
and previously collected data on 50 healthy adults (reference population).
VARIABLES: GDI from three-dimensional gait analysis, Gross Motor Function
Classification System (GMFCS), 6-min walk test (6MWT), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and
Physiological Cost Index (PCI). Results: Mean GDI was 74.3 in adults with
cerebral palsy, and 101.1 in the reference population. A significant difference
in GDI was found between the reference population and GMFCS level I (p < 0.001),
between I and II (p < 0.001), but not between II and III (p = 0.633). The
associations between GDI and 6MWT, TUG and PCI were r = 0.30, r = -0.30, and r =
-0.56, respectively. CONCLUSION: GDI demonstrated similar distributional
properties as those reported in children with cerebral palsy, suggesting
satisfactory face validity. Low correlations between GDI and 6MWT/TUG reflect
that gait and functional walking/mobility are different constructs, implicating
the importance of selecting outcomes in all ICF domains when evaluating walking
ability in adults with spastic cerebral palsy.

Langue : ANGLAIS