title: Intra- and interrater reliabilities of the Myotonometer when assessing the spastic condition of children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: The purposes of this study were to assess intra- and interrater reliabilities by novice users of the Myotonometer (Neurogenic Technologies, Inc., Missoula, MT), a portable electronic device that quantifies muscle tone (stiffness) and paresis, in assessing children with cerebral palsy. Two raters used the Myotonometer to assess the biceps brachii and medial gastrocnemius muscles of 10 children with spastic-type cerebral palsy. Muscles were measured in a relaxed state and during a voluntary isometric contraction. Intraclass correlation coefficients and repeatability coefficients were calculated for each muscle and for each condition (relaxed and contracted). Intrarater reliabilities ranged from 0.82 to 0.99 (biceps brachii muscles) and 0.88 to 0.99 (medial gastrocnemius muscles). Interrater reliabilities ranged from 0.74 to 0.99 (biceps brachii muscles) and 0.84 to 0.99 (medial gastrocnemius muscles). Repeatability coefficients indicated a 98% level of agreement between raters across all conditions. Novice users of the Myotonometer, with few exceptions, had high to very high intra- and interrater reliabilities for measurements of the biceps brachii and medial gastrocnemius muscles of children with spastic-type cerebral palsy.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Department, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
authors.forename: Desiree D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Aarrestad
authors.forename: Misty D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fehrer
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mikhailenok
authors.forename: Charles T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Leonard
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D009222:Myotonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013223:Statistics as Topic