Reliability and validity of functional balance tests post stroke

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Neurology
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Balance impairment is a significant challenge for individuals post-stroke, impacting mobility and independence.
• Reliable and valid assessment tools are crucial for tracking recovery and guiding rehabilitation interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of a suite of functional balance tests for post-stroke assessment.
• To establish the psychometric properties of these tests for clinical use.

Main Methods:

• Assessed within-session, test-retest, and intertester reliability using kappa coefficients and intraclass correlations.
• Criterion-related validity was determined by comparing test results with established measures like the Berg Balance Scale.
• Thirty-five and 48 participants were involved in reliability and validity testing, respectively.

Main Results:

• High reliability was observed across all tested functional balance assessments (intraclass correlations 0.93-0.99).
• Most tests demonstrated significant correlations with established balance measures, supporting their validity.
• The weight shift and step-up tests showed weaker correlations with the Berg Balance Scale.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated functional balance tests are reliable and valid for measuring balance deficits in the post-stroke population.
• These tests can be confidently used in clinical settings to assess balance disability after stroke.