Validity and reliability of the functional test for hemiplegic upper Extremity-Thai version

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Limited availability of standardized instruments for assessing upper extremity (UE) function in stroke patients in Thailand.
• Need for culturally adapted and validated assessment tools for stroke rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the concurrent validity, construct validity, and stability reliability of the Functional Test for Hemiplegic Upper Extremity (FTHUE)-Thai version.
• To establish a reliable measurement tool for UE function in the Thai stroke population.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 30 hemiplegic stroke participants and 30 healthy controls.
• Concurrent validity assessed by correlating FTHUE-Thai with Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE).
• Construct validity examined by comparing FTHUE-Thai scores between stroke patients and healthy subjects. Stability reliability tested over a two-week period.

Main Results:

• The FTHUE-Thai version showed strong correlations with FMA-UE scores (r = 0.93-0.95), indicating good concurrent validity.
• Excellent stability reliability was observed (r = 0.98, weighted kappa = 0.94).
• Significantly different scores between stroke patients and healthy controls confirmed good construct validity (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• The FTHUE-Thai version is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing upper extremity function in stroke patients within the Thai healthcare context.
• This validated tool can aid clinicians in objective UE function assessment and guide rehabilitation strategies for stroke survivors in Thailand.