Article

This study aimed to describe the development, internal consistency,
and validity of the Capabilities of Upper Extremity Test (CUE-T) for persons with
tetraplegia. DESIGN: This study used a cross-sectional sample of adults with
spinal cord injury. CUE-T items and procedures were developed based on the CUE
Questionnaire. Thirty adults with complete and incomplete spinal cord injury,
neurologic levels C4-T6, were tested on one occasion. Each received upper limb
manual muscle testing and the CUE Questionnaire followed by the CUE-T. Raw item
scores were converted to a 0-4 scale. Internal consistency was evaluated using
Cronbach alpha. Item score distributions were evaluated for ceiling and floor
effects. Spearman correlations of total, right, and left CUE-T scores with
upper-limb motor scores and international hand classification were performed.
RESULTS: There were 23 men and 7 women, with an average age of 44.8 yrs. Twenty
subjects had motor complete injuries; 13 had motor levels
C4-C6, 13 had between
C7 and C8, and 4 were T1 or below. The Cronbach alpha for the CUE-T was 0.96.
Item score distributions found ceiling effects for the push/pull items,
suggesting that these items were too easy. Correlations of right- and left-sided
scores with upper-limb motor scores and international hand classification were
strong, with all values greater than or equal to 0.89. CONCLUSIONS: The CUE-T
displays good internal consistency and excellent construct validity on
preliminary testing. Push/pull tests should be revised to increase difficulty.
Reliability and responsiveness should be determined.

Langue : ANGLAIS