Interobserver reliability of the Turkish version of the expanded and revised gross motor function classification...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most prevalent childhood disability.
• The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) is crucial for assessing motor function in CP patients.
• The expanded and revised (E&R) GMFCS, including an age band for adolescents (12-18 years), was developed in 2007.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the expanded and revised GMFCS.
• To assess the suitability of the Turkish E&R GMFCS for clinical use in Turkey.

Main Methods:

• Interobserver reliability was assessed between two physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.
• Test-retest reliability was evaluated in a subgroup of patients.
• Reliability was measured using percent agreement, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and μ statistics.

Main Results:

• Excellent interobserver agreement was found, with an ICC of 0.97 and 89% total agreement.
• The overall weighted μ was 0.86.
• High test-retest reliability was demonstrated, with an ICC of 0.94 and 75% total agreement.

Conclusions:

• The Turkish version of the E&R GMFCS is a reliable and valid tool.
• This validated tool can be used for assessing Turkish children with CP.