Upper limb assessment in children with cerebral palsy: translation and reliability of the French version for the Melbourne unilateral upper limb assessment (test de Melbourne).
BACKGROUND
The Melbourne unilateral upper limb assessment evaluates upper limb function in children with neurologic impairment aged from 5 to 15 years old. Its validity and reliability have been well demonstrated for the English version, which supports this tool as a reference tool.


OBJECTIVE
To present the French version of the Melbourne, its validity and reliability in order to offer French-speaking clinicians a relevant tool.


METHODS
The criterion validity was studied in a group of 46 children (mean age 10.6 years, gross motor function classification system in cerebral palsy [GMFCS] 1 to 4) in comparison with Box and Block test; the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability was studied in a group of 11 hemiplegic children (mean age 9.8 years, GMFCS 1 or 2).


RESULTS
The French version of the Melbourne test has a good criterion validity, with a good correlation between the score of Melbourne and the score of Box and Block test; the intra-rater reliability is very high or excellent, the inter-rater reliability is good on the whole, from moderate to excellent depending on the items.


CONCLUSIONS
The Melbourne test is a tool which has good psychometric properties. The French version is usable and reliable.
Bard
R
R
Centre médico-chirurgical de réadaptation des massues, 92, rue Edmond-Locard, 69322 Lyon cedex 05, France. ergo@cmcr-massues.com
Chaléat-Valayer
E
E
Combey
A
A
Bleu
P E
PE
Perretant
I
I
Bernard
J-C
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*