Reliability and validity of trunk assessment for people with multiple sclerosis.

Background And Purpose: Standardized scales are a prerequisite for rehabilitation and research. This study was designed to determine the reliability and validity of scores on items of the trunk assessment of the Melsbroek Disability Scoring Test (MDST) and Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Subjects: Thirty people with MS participated in the study.

Clinical scales for the assessment of spasticity, associated phenomena, and function: a systematic review of the literature.

Purpose: To characterise clinical assessment methods for spasticity and/or its functional consequences in clinical patient populations at risk to suffer from spasticity.

Method: Systematic literature search and manual-based two-step review process of psychometric properties of clinical assessment scales for spasticity and associated phenomena, as well as of functional scales with an association with spasticity. Reviewed psychometric properties included internal consistency, interrater, intrarater as well as retest reliability, construct validity, ecological validity, and responsiveness.

Muscular effort in multiple sclerosis patients during powered wheelchair manoeuvres.

Background: This study applied EMG analysis methods to identify muscle group activity profiles and potential overload risks in powered wheelchair use.

Methods: We quantified muscle effort and fatigue using EMG analysis methods during powered wheelchair manoeuvres by 10 multiple sclerosis patients. Video recordings of the different sub-tasks were related to information on surface EMG amplitude (rectified EMG) and spectral information (Median frequency) from M.

Self-report assessment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: a critical evaluation.

SUMMARY Fatigue is among the most common and disabling symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Clinicians usually assess fatigue by asking people to describe and rate their fatigue in a self-report instrument. This paper evaluates the clinical usefulness and the scientific properties of a selection of various self-report instruments for fatigue.

Reduction of spastic hypertonia during repeated passive knee movements in stroke patients.

Objectives: To quantify changes in spastic hypertonia during repeated passive isokinetic knee movements in stroke patients and to assess the role of muscle activity.

Design: A between-groups design with repeated measures.

Setting: Rehabilitation center for stroke patients.