title: Inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of walking speed measurement after traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of walking speed measurement after traumatic brain injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve subjects each completed five comfortably paced and five fast-paced walking trials. Walking speed was measured simultaneously by five observers using a stopwatch (clinical procedure) and by infrared timing gates (gold standard).
  
  
  METHODS
  Brain injury rehabilitation unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  People with traumatic brain injury who could walk independently and were participating in a rehabilitation programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  Walking speed over a 10-metre distance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inter-rater reliability of walking speed measured using a stopwatch was very high, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of at least 0.998 for both comfortable and fast-paced tests. Concurrent validity was excellent for comfortable and fast tests, with perfect correlations between the stopwatch and infrared timing gate measurement procedures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physiotherapists can use a stopwatch as a reliable and valid measurement tool to quantify walking speed over a short distance at both comfortable and fast paces in people who have sustained traumatic brain injuries.
authors: Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: van Loo
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Moseley
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Bosman
authors: R A
authors: RA
authors: de Bie
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Hassett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*