Oblique direction reach test: evaluating psychometric properties in stroke population

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Neurology

Background:

• Post-stroke individuals exhibit decreased limits of stability (LOS) in all directions.
• Functional activities often involve oblique movements, not just cardinal planes.
• Existing LOS assessment tools for oblique directions are often costly or complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the intra-rater, inter-rater reliability, and validity of the Oblique Direction Reach Test (ODRT).
• To assess the ODRT's utility in measuring balance in stroke survivors.

Main Methods:

• 96 stroke patients and 96 matched healthy controls participated.
• Oblique, forward, and lateral reach distances were measured using ODRT, FRT, and LRT.
• Validity assessed via correlation with Berg Balance Scale (BBS); reliability using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) and Bland Altman analysis.

Main Results:

• ODRT demonstrated high concurrent validity with BBS (r=0.905, p<0.001).
• Excellent inter-rater (ICC=0.997) and intra-rater (ICC=0.996) reliability were observed.
• Stroke patients showed significantly reduced reach distances compared to controls in FRT, ODRT, and LRT.

Conclusions:

• The ODRT is a highly valid and reliable instrument for evaluating balance in stroke patients.
• Reduced reach in forward and lateral directions correlates with diminished reach in the oblique direction.