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Santo AL, Joyce ME, Lynall RC. Tandem gait test-retest reliability among healthy physically active young adults. PM R 2023; 15:1098-1105. [PMID: 36191152 DOI: 10.1002/pmrj.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A tandem gait assessment is recommended after concussion. There is limited research examining psychometric properties of tandem gait assessments. OBJECTIVE To determine tandem gait test intertrial and 1-week test-retest reliability. It was hypothesized that the tandem gait test would yield moderate to good reliability, times would improve across trials/sessions, and average scores would have higher reliability. DESIGN Reliability study. SETTING Research laboratory. INTERVENTIONS Sixty participants (36 females, age: 20.4 ± 1.8 years) completed 10 tandem gait test trials on two occasions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Dependent variables included number of normal trials (participants stayed on the line, heel and toe touched on every step, and they avoided touching an examiner/object) and times for each trial. We analyzed intertrial reliability using a one-way analysis of covariance and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and test-retest reliability using dependent samples t-tests and ICCs. RESULTS At the first testing session, there were significant differences in times across seven trials (F2.44,80.42 = 21.55, p < .001). All trials were faster than the first trial. The second, third, and fifth trial were faster than the previous trial. There was moderately high overall reliability across the first seven trials (ICC2,1 = 0.77, 95% confidence interval = 0.63, 0.87). All times were faster at the second testing session (compared to the first). Most outcomes for the 1-week test-retest reliability demonstrated at least moderate reliability, including the best times for the first three, four, and five trials; average times for the first four and five trials; and best and average times for all of the participants' normal trials during five and 10 attempted trials. CONCLUSIONS There are practice effects when administering multiple tandem gait test trials, but scores stabilize after the fifth trial. There are practice effects associated with multiple administrations of the tandem gait test, but outcomes using times for four or five trials have adequate 1-week test-retest reliability in healthy physically active young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Santo
- Department of Kinesiology, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA
| | - Meredith E Joyce
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert C Lynall
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Joyce JM, Debert CT, Chevignard M, Sorek G, Katz-Leurer M, Gagnon I, Schneider KJ. Balance impairment in patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury: Which measures are appropriate for assessment? Front Neurol 2022; 13:906697. [PMID: 35989909 PMCID: PMC9381921 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.906697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Left untreated, balance impairment following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be highly debilitating and hinder activities of daily life. To detect impairments, clinicians need appropriate assessment tools. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and utility of a battery of clinical balance assessments in adults with moderate-to-severe TBI within 6-months of injury. Thirty-seven adults with TBI [Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 12 (33 M/4 F) age 18–50 years] participated in balance testing. Assessments included the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), National Institutes of Health Standing Balance Test (NIH-SBT), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), Advanced Functional Gait Assessment (FGA-A), Tandem Gait Test (TGT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Walking While Talking Test (WWTT). We identified pronounced ceiling effects on the BBS and FGA, two widely used clinical balance assessments. The NIH-SBT, WWTT, and FGA used in conjunction with the FGA-A, offered versatility in their capacity to assess patients across the balance severity spectrum. This study provides evidence to support a stepwise approach to balance assessment that can be adapted to the broad range of balance ability found in moderate-to-severe TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M. Joyce
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Integrated Concussion Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Julie M. Joyce
| | - Chantel T. Debert
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Integrated Concussion Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mathilde Chevignard
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, LIB, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- GRC 24 HaMCRe, Handicap Moteur et Cognitif & Réadaptation, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Rehabilitation Department for Children with Acquired Neurological Injury, Saint Maurice Hospitals, Saint Maurice, France
| | - Gilad Sorek
- Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Katz-Leurer
- Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Isabelle Gagnon
- Montreal Children's Hospital Trauma Center, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kathryn J. Schneider
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Integrated Concussion Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Evidence Sport and Spinal Therapy, Calgary, AB, Canada
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