Test-retest reliability of a hand-held dynamometer for quadriceps isometric maximal voluntary contractions measurements in COPD: a multicenter Canadian validation study

Author(s):  
Kim-Ly Bui ◽  
Sunita Mathur ◽  
Pat Camp ◽  
Gail Dechman ◽  
François Maltais ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pim van Oirschot ◽  
Marco Heerings ◽  
Karine Wendrich ◽  
Bram den Teuling ◽  
Marijn B Martens ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The decline of cognitive processing speed (CPS) is a common dysfunction in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is widely used to formally quantify CPS. We implemented a variant of the SDMT in MS sherpa, a smartphone app for persons with MS. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the MS sherpa smartphone variant of the SDMT (sSDMT). METHODS We performed a validation study with 25 persons with relapsing-remitting MS and 79 healthy control (HC) subjects. In the HC group, 21 subjects were matched to the persons with MS with regard to age, gender, and education and they followed the same assessment schedule as the persons with MS (the “HC matched” group) and 58 subjects had a less intense assessment schedule to determine reference values (the “HC normative” group). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were determined between the paper-and-pencil SDMT and its smartphone variant (sSDMT) on 2 occasions, 4 weeks apart. Other ICCs were determined for test-retest reliability, which were derived from 10 smartphone tests per study participant, with 3 days in between each test. Seven study participants with MS were interviewed regarding their experiences with the sSDMT. RESULTS The SDMT scores were on average 12.06% higher than the sSDMT scores, with a standard deviation of 10.68%. An ICC of 0.838 was found for the construct validity of the sSDMT in the combined analysis of persons with MS and HC subjects. Average ICCs for test-retest reliability of the sSDMT for persons with MS, the HC matched group, and the HC normative group were 0.874, 0.857, and 0.867, respectively. The practice effect was significant between the first and the second test of the persons with MS and the HC matched group and trivial for all other test-retests. The interviewed study participants expressed a positive attitude toward the sSDMT, but they also discussed the importance of adapting a smartphone cognition test in accordance with the needs of the individual persons with MS. CONCLUSIONS The high correlation between sSDMT and the conventional SDMT scores indicates a very good construct validity. Similarly, high correlations underpin a very good test-retest reliability of the sSDMT. We conclude that the sSDMT has the potential to be used as a tool to monitor CPS in persons with MS, both in clinical studies and in clinical practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Pereira Pinto ◽  
Sónia Martins ◽  
Edgar Mesquita ◽  
Lia Fernandes

Introduction: This study aims to describe the translation and adaptation of the European Portuguese Clinical Frailty Scale and assess its convergent validity and test-retest reliability.Material and Methods: This validation study included a sample of elderly people admitted in two convalescence units from the National Network of Integrated Continuous Care in Northern Portugal and followed in two outpatient clinics of social solidarity institutions. Convergent validity of the scale was evaluated, against Tilburg Frailty Indicator. Test-retest reliability, sensitivity and specificity were assessed.Results: Overall, 51 patients were included (mean age = 78 years old). The Clinical Frailty Scale identified 43.1% patients with frailty. Kappa values for test-retest reliability (non-frail/frail) was 1.00. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the 9-point total scale was 0.999. A correlation between Clinical Frailty Scale and Tilburg Frailty Indicator was also found (rs = 0.683; p < 0.001). The Cohen’s kappa coefficient was 0.423 in the agreement analysis between these scales. The results for sensitivity and specificity defined that 62.0% of patients were true positives and 81.8% true negatives. The scale accuracy determined by the receiver operating characteristics curve analysis was 0.782.Discussion: This scale showed an excellent test-retest reliability. Robust results on convergent validity were also achieved, with a moderate correlation and agreement with the Tilburg Frailty Indicator, showing good sensitivity and accuracy, as well as high specificity.Conclusion: This version has an excellent test-retest reliability and good convergent validity, and is both a reliable and valid test for application in clinical practice for assessing Portuguese elderly population admitted in convalescence units and outpatient clinics.


Kinesiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano Rocha da Silva ◽  
Danilo de Oliveira Silva ◽  
Ronaldo Valdir Briani ◽  
Marcella Ferraz Pazzinatto ◽  
Deisi Ferrari ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to analyze the test-retest reliability of the median frequency (MDF) and root mean square (RMS) used to determine the onset of neuromuscular fatigue (NF) during sustained fatiguing contractions of the quadriceps. Eighteen healthy men were tested on two days, and electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the vastus medialis (VM), rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) during sustained isometric contractions at 20 and 70% of maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) held until exhaustion. The reliability of endurance time was excellent at 20% MVC and poor at 70% MVC. EMG variables were evaluated: (1) at the beginning of the test; (2) at NF; and (3) at the end of the test. The NF time values presented poor reliability. The MDF has shown, in general, poor reliability at 20 and 70% MVC, whereas the RMS reliability presented better results for both loads, especially for RF, followed by the VM and VL muscles. The MDF and RMS values extracted from NF showed poor reliability at 20 and 70% MVC, which suggests caution in using these variables extracted from the EMG signal to determine the onset of NF.


1996 ◽  
Vol 169 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. P. Allen ◽  
Sheila Gordon ◽  
Tony Hope ◽  
Alistair Burns

BackgroundThere is increasing awareness of the importance of psychopathological and behavioural changes in dementia and a need for an instrument to measure these features which achieves an appropriate compromise between brevity and breadth. We describe a newly developed 59-item instrument: the MOUSEPAD.MethodReliability, sensitivity and validity were examined with 30 carers, each of whom was interviewed four times over six weeks.ResultsFor different symptom groups, kappa ranged from 0.43 to 0.93 for test–retest reliability, from 0.56 to 1.0 for inter-rater reliability, and from 0.43 to 0.67 for the validation study.ConclusionsThe scale may be useful as an outcome measure in drug trials, for correlating psychopathological and behavioural changes with post-mortem findings, and in epidemiological surveys.


2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 573-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
L N Brown ◽  
L M Metz ◽  
M Eliasziw

Background Tactile temporal thresholds are typically significantly higher (ie, prolonged) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients when compared to controls and increase significantly during relapses, probably reflecting integrity of conduction across a portion of the corpus callosum. As part of an ongoing validation study of tactile temporal thresholds, the test-retest reliability of these thresholds was examined in patients with MS. Methods Tactile temporal thresholds were measured in 61 MS patients during two separate test sessions within three weeks. Test-retest reliability and the standard error of measurement were calculated. The threshold of change in tactile temporal thresholds in MS patients that would correspond to real change beyond measurement error with 95% certainty was also calculated. Results The test-retest reliability of this measure of tactile temporal thresholds was 0.93. The threshold indicating change beyond chance or measurement error with 95% certainty was 19 ms. Conclusions This measure of tactile temporal thresholds has excellent test - retest reliability and a change of greater than 19 ms is highly likely to represent real change. This measure is promising as a precise, reliable outcome measure in MS.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (08) ◽  
pp. 737-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Xu ◽  
Robyn M. Cox

Background: The Four Alternative Auditory Feature test (FAAF) is a word-based closed-set speech recognition test. Because the original test materials were recorded in British English dialect, it is not appropriate for use in the United States. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to produce an American dialect FAAF (AFAAF). Research Design: The AFAAF materials spoken by a native American-English speaking male were recorded and digitally edited. In the validation study, the AFAAF was administered monaurally at five signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in both ears for each listener. Study Sample: A total of 20 young adults with normal hearing participated in the validation study. Data Collection and Analysis: For each participant, speech recognition scores were collected in one session. The speech level was fixed at 70 dB SPL and the steady-state talker-matched noise level was varied, resulting in five SNRs from –15 to –5 dB. One full list (80 words) was used for each SNR. For each participant, a performance-intensity (PI) function was fit to the discrete mean percent correct scores for the five SNRs according to a best-fit, three-parameter sigmoid function. In addition, scores for the left and right ears were compared to examine test-retest reliability. Results: Results show that the slope of the PI function is 6% per dB, the mean test-retest difference scores for the five SNRs are within 3 rationalized arcsine units (rau), and the 95% critical difference for the 80-word scores is 12 rau. Compared with the FAAF, the slope of the PI function for the AFAAF is slightly less steep. Test-retest reliability of the AFAAF is at least equal to that of the FAAF. Conclusions: It is concluded that the AFAAF is similar but not identical to the FAAF. The AFAAF is now available for measuring speech recognition performance in listeners who use American English as a native language.


2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 493-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Y.H. Chen ◽  
Dennise K.P. Tam ◽  
Josephine W.S. Wong ◽  
C.W Law ◽  
Cindy P.Y. Chiu

Objective: Patients who are recovering from a first-episode psychosis face specific and complex issues that are related to their illness and treatment experiences, such as the appraisal of the extent of their recoveryand the risk ofrelapse. Currently, no instrument provides a comprehensive assessment of these related attitudes. A novel self-administered rating scale for the measurement of key perceptions during the recovery stage after a firstepisode psychosis is presented. The Psychosis Recovery Inventory (PRI) is designed to specifically address a number of closely related issues that are faced by patients who are recovering from a first-episode psychosis. Method: The process of development of the PRI involved the generation of items from qualitative interviews, the construction and refinement of these items and a validation study. The longitudinal stability of the PRI items was assessed in a test–retest reliability study in which 20 patients completed the retest within 4 weeks. The internal consistency and convergent validity of the PRI were evaluated by a comparison of the PRI subscale scores and the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and Drug Attitude Inventory scores in a sample of 48 first-episode psychosis patients. Results: The validation study shows that the PRI is an instrument with a good test–retest reliability, internal consistency and convergent validity. Conclusions: This pragmatic, low burden, self-administered scale can be applied in clinical and research settings to obtain reliable information on the attitudes of patients on a range of interrelated issues in the recovery stage that follows a first-episode psychosis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pim van Oirschot ◽  
Marco Heerings ◽  
Karine Wendrich ◽  
Bram den Teuling ◽  
Frank Dorssers ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Walking disturbances are a common dysfunction in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The 2-Minute Walking Test (2MWT) is widely used to quantify walking speed. We implemented a smartphone-based 2MWT (s2MWT) in MS sherpa, an app for persons with MS. When performing the s2MWT, users of the app are instructed to walk as fast as safely possible for 2 minutes in the open air, while the app records their movement and calculates the distance walked. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to investigate the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the MS sherpa s2MWT. METHODS We performed a validation study on 25 persons with relapsing-remitting MS and 79 healthy control (HC) participants. In the HC group, 21 participants were matched to the persons with MS based on age, gender, and education and these followed the same assessment schedule as the persons with MS (the <i>HC-matched</i> group), whereas 58 participants had a less intense assessment schedule to determine reference values (the <i>HC-normative</i> group). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were determined between the distance measured by the s2MWT and the distance measured using distance markers on the pavement during these s2MWT assessments. ICCs were also determined for test-retest reliability and derived from 10 smartphone tests per study participant, with 3 days in between each test. We interviewed 7 study participants with MS regarding their experiences with the s2MWT. RESULTS In total, 755 s2MWTs were completed. The adherence rate for the persons with MS and the participants in the HC-matched group was 92.4% (425/460). The calculated distance walked on the s2MWT was, on average, 8.43 m or 5% (SD 18.9 m or 11%) higher than the distance measured using distance markers (n=43). An ICC of 0.817 was found for the concurrent validity of the s2MWT in the combined analysis of persons with MS and HC participants. Average ICCs of 9 test-retest reliability analyses of the s2MWT for persons with MS and the participants in the HC-matched group were 0.648 (SD 0.150) and 0.600 (SD 0.090), respectively, whereas the average ICC of 2 test-retest reliability analyses of the s2MWT for the participants in the HC-normative group was 0.700 (SD 0.029). The interviewed study participants found the s2MWT easy to perform, but they also expressed that the test results can be confronting and that a pressure to reach a certain distance can be experienced. CONCLUSIONS The high correlation between s2MWT distance and the conventional 2MWT distance indicates a good concurrent validity. Similarly, high correlations underpin a good test-retest reliability of the s2MWT. We conclude that the s2MWT can be used to measure the distance that the persons with MS walk in 2 minutes outdoors near their home, from which both clinical studies and clinical practice can benefit.


10.2196/29128 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. e29128
Author(s):  
Pim van Oirschot ◽  
Marco Heerings ◽  
Karine Wendrich ◽  
Bram den Teuling ◽  
Frank Dorssers ◽  
...  

Background Walking disturbances are a common dysfunction in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The 2-Minute Walking Test (2MWT) is widely used to quantify walking speed. We implemented a smartphone-based 2MWT (s2MWT) in MS sherpa, an app for persons with MS. When performing the s2MWT, users of the app are instructed to walk as fast as safely possible for 2 minutes in the open air, while the app records their movement and calculates the distance walked. Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the MS sherpa s2MWT. Methods We performed a validation study on 25 persons with relapsing-remitting MS and 79 healthy control (HC) participants. In the HC group, 21 participants were matched to the persons with MS based on age, gender, and education and these followed the same assessment schedule as the persons with MS (the HC-matched group), whereas 58 participants had a less intense assessment schedule to determine reference values (the HC-normative group). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were determined between the distance measured by the s2MWT and the distance measured using distance markers on the pavement during these s2MWT assessments. ICCs were also determined for test-retest reliability and derived from 10 smartphone tests per study participant, with 3 days in between each test. We interviewed 7 study participants with MS regarding their experiences with the s2MWT. Results In total, 755 s2MWTs were completed. The adherence rate for the persons with MS and the participants in the HC-matched group was 92.4% (425/460). The calculated distance walked on the s2MWT was, on average, 8.43 m or 5% (SD 18.9 m or 11%) higher than the distance measured using distance markers (n=43). An ICC of 0.817 was found for the concurrent validity of the s2MWT in the combined analysis of persons with MS and HC participants. Average ICCs of 9 test-retest reliability analyses of the s2MWT for persons with MS and the participants in the HC-matched group were 0.648 (SD 0.150) and 0.600 (SD 0.090), respectively, whereas the average ICC of 2 test-retest reliability analyses of the s2MWT for the participants in the HC-normative group was 0.700 (SD 0.029). The interviewed study participants found the s2MWT easy to perform, but they also expressed that the test results can be confronting and that a pressure to reach a certain distance can be experienced. Conclusions The high correlation between s2MWT distance and the conventional 2MWT distance indicates a good concurrent validity. Similarly, high correlations underpin a good test-retest reliability of the s2MWT. We conclude that the s2MWT can be used to measure the distance that the persons with MS walk in 2 minutes outdoors near their home, from which both clinical studies and clinical practice can benefit.


10.2196/18160 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e18160
Author(s):  
Pim van Oirschot ◽  
Marco Heerings ◽  
Karine Wendrich ◽  
Bram den Teuling ◽  
Marijn B Martens ◽  
...  

Background The decline of cognitive processing speed (CPS) is a common dysfunction in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is widely used to formally quantify CPS. We implemented a variant of the SDMT in MS sherpa, a smartphone app for persons with MS. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the MS sherpa smartphone variant of the SDMT (sSDMT). Methods We performed a validation study with 25 persons with relapsing-remitting MS and 79 healthy control (HC) subjects. In the HC group, 21 subjects were matched to the persons with MS with regard to age, gender, and education and they followed the same assessment schedule as the persons with MS (the “HC matched” group) and 58 subjects had a less intense assessment schedule to determine reference values (the “HC normative” group). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were determined between the paper-and-pencil SDMT and its smartphone variant (sSDMT) on 2 occasions, 4 weeks apart. Other ICCs were determined for test-retest reliability, which were derived from 10 smartphone tests per study participant, with 3 days in between each test. Seven study participants with MS were interviewed regarding their experiences with the sSDMT. Results The SDMT scores were on average 12.06% higher than the sSDMT scores, with a standard deviation of 10.68%. An ICC of 0.838 was found for the construct validity of the sSDMT in the combined analysis of persons with MS and HC subjects. Average ICCs for test-retest reliability of the sSDMT for persons with MS, the HC matched group, and the HC normative group were 0.874, 0.857, and 0.867, respectively. The practice effect was significant between the first and the second test of the persons with MS and the HC matched group and trivial for all other test-retests. The interviewed study participants expressed a positive attitude toward the sSDMT, but they also discussed the importance of adapting a smartphone cognition test in accordance with the needs of the individual persons with MS. Conclusions The high correlation between sSDMT and the conventional SDMT scores indicates a very good construct validity. Similarly, high correlations underpin a very good test-retest reliability of the sSDMT. We conclude that the sSDMT has the potential to be used as a tool to monitor CPS in persons with MS, both in clinical studies and in clinical practice.


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