Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
06:54
Clinical-oriented Three-dimensional Gait Analysis Method for Evaluating Gait Disorder
Published on: March 4, 2018
Expanding the scoring system for the Dynamic Gait Index
Anne Shumway-Cook1, Catherine S Taylor, Patricia Noritake Matsuda
1A. Shumway-Cook, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Box 356490, Seattle, WA 98195 (USA).
Physical Therapy
|July 2, 2013
Summary
The modified Dynamic Gait Index (mDGI) offers improved measurement of walking function with a new scoring system. Its strong psychometric properties support its use in clinical and research settings.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Physical Therapy
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- The Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) assesses gait adaptation to complex tasks.
- Current DGI scoring lacks clarity and has limited measurement range.
- Existing DGI combines gait pattern (GP) and level of assistance (LOA) scores.
Purpose of the Study:
- Develop a new scoring system for the DGI based on LOA, GP, and time.
- Examine the psychometric properties of the modified DGI (mDGI).
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, descriptive study included 995 participants.
- Assessed interrater reliability, internal consistency, and internal validity.
- Investigated unidimensionality and range of difficulty using factor and Rasch analyses.
Main Results:
- The mDGI demonstrated strong interrater agreement (kappa: 59%-100%) and high test-retest correlations (r: .87-.91).
- Factor analysis identified three factors (time, LOA, GP) explaining 79% of score variance.
- Significant group differences were found with moderate to large effect sizes.
Conclusions:
- The mDGI enhances the range, discrimination, and measurement facets of walking function.
- Strong psychometric properties support the mDGI's adoption for clinical and research use.
- Limitations include uneven sample sizes and potential bias in the mobility-impaired group.
