Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the intertester reliability and validity of 5 nonradiologic
measures of forward flexed posture in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD).
DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: University outpatient
facility and community centers. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (N=28) with PD with
Hoehn and Yahr scores of 1 through 4. INTERVENTIONS:
Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Occiput to wall status, tragus to wall distance,
C7 to wall distance,
photographically derived trunk flexion angle, and inclinometric kyphosis measure.
RESULTS: Participants were older adults (mean, 69.7+/-10.6y) with a 14-month to
15-year (mean, 5.9+/-3.5y) history of PD. Intertester reliability was excellent
for all measures (kappa=.89 [cued condition] and 1.0 [relaxed condition] for
occiput to wall status; intraclass correlation coefficients, .779-.897 for tragus
to wall distance, C7 to wall distance, flexion angle, and inclinometric kyphosis
measure). Convergent validity was supported for all measures by significant
correlations between the same measures obtained during relaxed and cued
conditions (eg, occiput to wall relaxed and cued) and for most measures by
significant correlations between measures obtained under the same condition (eg,
occiput to wall cued and tragus to wall cued). Significant correlations between
tragus to wall distance, C7 to wall distance, flexion angle, and inclinometric
kyphosis measure and the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale item 28 (posture)
also supported convergent validity. Significant differences between tragus to
wall distance, C7 to wall distance, and inclinometric kyphosis measure values
under relaxed and cued conditions supported known condition validity. Known group
validity was demonstrated by significant differences in tragus to wall distance,
C7 to wall distance, and inclinometric kyphosis measure obtained from individuals
able and individuals unable to touch their occiput to wall when cued to stand
tall. CONCLUSIONS: Tragus to wall distance, C7 to wall distance, and
inclinometric kyphosis measure are reliable and valid nonradiologic measures of
forward flexed posture in PD.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS