title: Observational Gait Assessments in People With Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the clinical and psychometric properties of observational gait assessment scales in people with neurological disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  The databases used for the literature search were MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial, Web of Science, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health. The search was conducted between September 15 and November 30, 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies that investigate and validate observational gait assessment scales in people with central nervous system disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  General characteristics of the studies, including number of patients and observational gait assessment scales analyzed and their psychometric properties, were extracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the literature search, 15 articles were included in this review. Seven of the 15 articles studied the Tinetti Gait Scale (TGS), 2 studied the Rivermead Visual Gait Assessment (RVGA), 1 studied the Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool (G.A.I.T.), 3 studied the Wisconsin Gait Scale, and one of them compared the TGS and the G.A.I.T.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The scale that appears to be the most suitable for both clinical practice and research is the G.A.I.T. because it has shown to be valid, reliable, and sensitive to change, homogeneous, and comprehensive, containing a large number of items that assess most components of the gait pattern. The RVGA was studied in those with diverse neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis. For those with Parkinson disease, the TGS showed sensitivity and the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) showed predictive capability for falls and mortality as well as intra- and interrater reliability. The Tinetti POMA was also studied in those with normal pressure hydrocephalus, showing sensitivity and in those with Huntington disease, showing reliability and validity. More research is needed to more comprehensively analyze the psychometric properties of the RVGA, Wisconsin Gait Scale, TGS, and G.A.I.T. in patients with diverse neurological disorders, other than stroke.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Department, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: lola.gor84@gmail.com.
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Gor-García-Fogeda
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cano de la Cuerda
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carratalá Tejada
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Alguacil-Diego
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molina-Rueda
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005684:Gait; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011594:Psychometrics
keywords: Gait; Nervous system diseases; Observation; Psychometrics; Rehabilitation; Walking coordination