An evaluation of the Extended Barthel Index with acute ischemic stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the Extended Barthel Index with acute ischemic stroke patients.


METHODS
This prospective 1- to 6-week poststroke follow-up study was carried out using 33 newly diagnosed acute ischemic stroke patients who were admitted to the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Neurology. Measures used were Barthel Index (BI), Extended Barthel Index (EBI), Fugl-Meyer Motor Impairment Scale, 1-5 Self-Assessment scale, Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test.


RESULTS
The EBI is a reliable scale in terms of internal consistency. The cognitive part is less reliable than the physical part of the EBI. It is a 3-dimensional scale as calculated by factor analysis (factor 1 with eigen value 8.2, factor 2 with eigen value 2.7 and factor 3 with eigen value 0.9). Criterion validity to the BI and the Fugl-Meyer Motor Impairment Scale was supported (P=0.1-0.001). External validity to the Self-Assessment scale was also supported (P<0.001). It is more sensitive to the changes in functional status that occur in the 1st 6 weeks poststroke than the original BI, although the ceiling effect was not really explained in this follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
The EBI is a valid, reliable, 2- to 3-dimensional outcome measure of disability/activity for stroke patients. To some extent, it also reveals the level of patients' perception of their functional status.
Jansa
Jelka
J
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Neurology, Slovenia. jelka.jansa@kclj.si
Pogacnik
Tomaz
T
Gompertz
Patrick
P
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation