Responsiveness and validity of the Motor Activity Log in patients during the subacute phase after stroke

To investigate the responsiveness and cross-sectional and longitudinal validity of the Motor Activity Log (MAL) in the subacute phase after stroke.

Data were collected pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up evaluations from 30 patients with stroke participating in a randomized trial of forced use. Assessments included MAL, the Fugl-Meyer test, the 16-hole peg test, grip strength, the Action Research Arm Test, and the Motor Assessment Scale. Measurements of responsiveness were effect size, standardized response mean (SRM), and responsiveness ratio (RR). Relationships between the MAL and the other measures were determined with Spearman correlations.

The MAL is responsive to change, with effect size, SRM, and RR>1.0 at the 3-month follow-up, and SRM and RR>1.0 at post-intervention. Correlations at the separate test occasions between MAL and the other measures were mostly close to 0.50, which shows fair to moderate construct validity. Correlations between changes in MAL and in the other measures were weaker than cross-sectional relationships.

The MAL is a responsive measure of daily hand use in patients participating in rehabilitation in the subacute phase after stroke. Correlations of construct validity indicate that daily hand use may need to be measured separately from body function and activity capacity, in line with the underlying constructs of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. To strengthen our findings, they should be repeated in larger samples of patients.