Development of Tests for Arm Coordination Impairment in Paralympic Classification

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Paralympic Classification

Background:

• Accurate classification of impairment is mandatory in Paralympic sport.
• Wheelchair rugby lacks objective methods for classifying arm coordination impairment.
• Previous research indicated correlation between the Spiral Test (ST) and wheelchair rugby performance, but it relied on maximum voluntary effort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Spiral Test (ST) as an objective measure for arm coordination impairment.
• To determine if the ST can differentiate maximum voluntary effort from intentional misrepresentation.
• To assess the test-retest reliability of the ST and its applicability to Fitts's law.

Main Methods:

• Nineteen unimpaired volunteers completed two test sessions, performing three STs on each arm.
• STs were administered on a tablet with varying spiral widths (indices of difficulty).
• Movement time and penalties for touching/crossing spiral borders were recorded.

Main Results:

• Bland-Altman analysis indicated acceptable test-retest reliability for the ST.
• High correlation (r > 0.95) was found between Fitts's law index of difficulty and movement time.
• Optimized penalty times were determined for dominant (2.0s) and non-dominant (2.5s) arms.

Conclusions:

• The ST demonstrates sufficient test-retest reliability and applicability of Fitts's law.
• The ST is a promising tool for objectively classifying arm coordination impairment in wheelchair rugby.
• This method can help distinguish intentional misrepresentation from genuine maximum voluntary effort in athletes.