Inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of walking speed measurement after traumatic brain injury.
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.
van Loo
M A
MA
Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
Moseley
A M
AM
Bosman
J M
JM
de Bie
R A
RA
Hassett
L
L
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*