Generalizability of sensory and motor tests

Differences between practitioners in the selection of tests of specific pathognomonic sensory and motor signs, administration procedures, and scoring criteria have resulted in inconsistencies that have confounded attempts to study the incidence and patterns of deficits. Tests of sensory-motor functioning have been standardized in the Dean-Woodcock Sensory-Motor Battery (D-WSMB; Dean and Woodcock, in preparation). This study used the D-WSMB to: (a) estimate the point-prevalence of pathognomonic signs in a normal adult; (b) identify items with difficulty levels likely to result in overidentification of abnormality; (c) estimate the interrater agreement and reliability for items; and (d) identify tests most vulnerable to subjective interpretation. Results suggested adequate to excellent rater agreement and reliability. Specific minor modifications are recommended to improve the reliability of these tests.