title: Developing normalized strength scores for neuromuscular research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Accurate Test of Limb Isometric Strength (ATLIS) device can reliably measure the strength of 12 muscle groups using a fixed load cell. The purpose of this study was to analyze ATLIS data from healthy adults to calculate an individual's predicted strength scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  ATLIS data were collected from 432 healthy adults. Linear regression models were developed to predict each muscle group's strength. The R-squared statistic assessed variability accounted for by the models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simple main effects models stratified by gender were used to establish regression equations for each muscle using factors of age, weight, and height.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normalizing raw strength scores controls for biometric factors, thus enabling meaningful comparisons between subjects and allowing each muscle to contribute equally to a summary score. Normalized scores are easily interpreted for broad clinical uses, and derived summary scores establish individuals' disease progression rates using a common scale, allowing for more efficient clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinical Trials Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Room 2274, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA. pandres1@partners.org
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: Julaine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Florence
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malkus
authors.forename: Jeanine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schierbecker
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Siener
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malspeis
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schoenfeld
authors.forename: Theodore L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Munsat
authors.forename: Merit E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cudkowicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values