title: Reproducibility and Sensitivity of the 6-Minute Stepper Test in Patients with COPD.
abstract: The aims of this study were to test the reproducibility of the 6-minute stepper test (6MST), and evaluate its accuracy in detecting improved functional capacity after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thirty-five COPD outpatients performed two 6MSTs in the same session, before (6MST1 and 6MST2) and after (6MST3 and 6MST4) PR. The performance, perceived exertion, heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation were measured during each 6MST. The performance was higher during the second 6MST of the same session (before PR: 514 strokes during the 6MST2 > 471 strokes during the 6MST1, and after PR: 559 strokes during the 6MST4 > 508 strokes during the 6MST3; p = 0.04). After PR, 6MST performance was higher than before PR (6MST3 > 6MST1 and 6MST4 > 6MST2; P < 0.01). The bias (the difference in the number of strokes) between the two 6MSTs from the same session (before PR: 6MST2-6MST1 = 42 strokes vs after PR: 6MST4-6MST3 = 52 strokes) was not different (P = 0.34). However, both bias were greater than 0 (P < 0.001). The mean performances for the two 6MSTs of the same session (before PR: 6MST1 and 6MST2 and after PR: 6MST3 and 6MST4) were correlated with the bias between these performances (P < 0.01; r = 0.32). The perceived exertions were lower after PR (P < 0.02). The systematic improvement of performance (8-10%) during the second 6MST of the each session may be explained from the warming of hydraulic jacks of the stepper and/or learning effect. On the other hand, the 6MST seems sufficiently sensitive to detect functional capacity improvements after PR in patients with COPD.
authors.affiliation: a Université de Rouen, Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l'Education Physique, Centre d'Etudes des Transformations des Activités Physiques et Sportives , Mont Saint Aignan , France.
authors.forename: Jérémy B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Coquart
authors.affiliation: a Université de Rouen, Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l'Education Physique, Centre d'Etudes des Transformations des Activités Physiques et Sportives , Mont Saint Aignan , France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lemaître
authors.affiliation: a Université de Rouen, Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l'Education Physique, Centre d'Etudes des Transformations des Activités Physiques et Sportives , Mont Saint Aignan , France.|d Formaction Santé , Perenchies , France.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castres
authors.affiliation: b Service de Réhabilitation Pluridisciplinaire, Centre Hospitalier Germon et Gauthier , Béthune , France.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saison
authors.affiliation: b Service de Réhabilitation Pluridisciplinaire, Centre Hospitalier Germon et Gauthier , Béthune , France.|c Service de Pneumologie, Centre Hospitalier Germon et Gauthier , Béthune , France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bart
authors.affiliation: b Service de Réhabilitation Pluridisciplinaire, Centre Hospitalier Germon et Gauthier , Béthune , France.|c Service de Pneumologie, Centre Hospitalier Germon et Gauthier , Béthune , France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grosbois
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015982:Bias; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014797:Vital Capacity
keywords: exercise text; field test; functional capacity; pulmonary rehabilitation; reliability