Clinimetrics of the Upright Motor Control Test in chronic stroke

INTRODUCTION Insufficient literature exists regarding the clinimetric properties of the Upright Motor Control Test Knee Extension and Flexion subtests (UMCT-KE and UMCT-KF, respectively). This study examined the interrater and test-retest reliability of these subtests, and determined the relationship between the UMCT-KE and a clinical measure of muscle function in a sample of adults with chronic stroke. METHODS Three raters independently administered the UMCT-KE and UMCT-KF on adults with chronic stroke with spasticity/abnormal movement patterns. Testing of each participant occurred on two occasions (T1 and T2) separated by a two-week interval. A fourth rater independently administered the Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSST), a measure of lower extremity muscle function (power), on T2. RESULTS Twenty-nine adults aged 55 ± 8 years, comprising 21 men (72%), and who were 9 ± 5 years poststroke, completed the study. Most of the participants (66%, 19/29) did not require an assistive device during walking. The UMCT-KE and UMCT-KF demonstrated substantial interrater reliability (W = 0.63-0.67 and 0.72-0.75, respectively) and substantial to almost perfect test-retest reliability across the raters (W = 0.75-0.82 and 0.85-0.87, respectively). The UMCT-KE showed positive inverse correlation with the FTSST (ρ = -0.52, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS Scores on both subtests are reproducible within raters and across different raters. The relationship of UMCT-KE scores with FTSST scores implies that the UMCT-KE can provide information that relates with the construct of muscle function in a weight-bearing position.