Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026
Assessment of Sensorimotor Function in Mouse Models of Parkinson's Disease
Published on: June 17, 2013
Reliability of the Wolf Motor Function Test for Parkinson's disease
Vera Lúcia Santos de Britto1, Tatiana Vasconcelos da Silva2, Cynthia do Carmo Gomes de Andrade2
1Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Neurologia Deolindo Couto, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) demonstrates good reliability for assessing upper limbs in Parkinson's disease (PD). This makes it a valuable tool for both clinical practice and research in PD patient care.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Movement Disorders
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Assessing upper limb function is crucial in Parkinson's disease (PD) management.
- Limited validated clinical assessments exist for upper limb motor function in PD.
- The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) is a potential tool for PD upper limb assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the measurement properties of the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT).
- To determine the reliability of the WMFT for assessing upper limb function in individuals with PD.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study design was employed.
- Intrarater, interrater, and test-retest reliability were assessed.
- Video-based assessments of the WMFT were conducted on 50 PD patients.
Main Results:
- Excellent intrarater reliability for WMFT execution time (ICC > 0.75) and substantial reliability for the Functional Ability Scale (FAS) (Kappa = 0.61–0.80).
- Moderate test-retest reliability for execution time (ICC ≤ 0.75), with excellent reliability for specific tasks (Tasks 7 and 14; ICC = 0.99).
- Considerable interrater reliability for FAS (Kappa = 0.21–0.40) across most WMFT tasks.
Conclusions:
- The WMFT exhibits strong intrarater reliability for assessing upper limb (UL) function in PD patients.
- The WMFT demonstrates acceptable interrater reliability for evaluating UL function in PD.
- The WMFT is a reliable tool for both clinical and research settings involving PD.
