Validity and reliability comparison of 4 mobility measures in patients presenting with neurologic impairment.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the reliability and validity of 4 mobility measures in neurologically impaired adults undergoing rehabilitation.


METHODS
Repeated assessment of same patients.


METHODS
Two specialized neurologic centers in England.


METHODS
Forty-six patients with neurologic disabilities selected from inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centers who were able to stand and walk at least 10 meters, with some aid if needed.


METHODS
Patients were assessed twice, at an interval of 7 days, by the same person at the same location. Validity and reliability of each measure were compared by means of scatterplots, Bland-Altman method, and correlation coefficients. Validity was also established by comparing groups of patients expected to differ in mobility.


METHODS
The Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) standard version and a version with 4 levels of answer, the 10-meter timed walk, and the 2-minute walk test.


RESULTS
The measures showed significant intercorrelation, suggesting that all were valid mobility measures. Each was reasonably reliable, with no evidence of systematic bias. The revised RMI was less sensitive to differences. The distance covered in the 2-minute walk test was significantly decreased for patients using aids (p <.0005) and those with impaired leg sensation (p =.02).


CONCLUSIONS
All 4 measures tested (2 RMI versions, 1-meter timed walk, 2-minute walk test) showed similar validity and reliability, and the 4-level RMI version failed to show an increased ability to detect differences. All measures showed more disability in patients using aids and those with sensory impairment.
Rossier
P
P
Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre, Oxford, UK.
Wade
D T
DT
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking