Characteristics that affect score reliability in the Berg Balance Scale: a meta-analytic reliability generalization study.

Introduction: The Berg Balance Scale is the most widely used clinical scale used to assess balance performance in neurological conditions. Reliability is not an unalterable value of a scale across different applications, but is a property referring to the results obtained with the scale, not the instrument in itself. The results of a scale can vary depending on the context where it is applied and the characteristics of the participants, therefore the reliability coefficient should be reported in each study.

Inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Modified Ashworth Scale: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The Modified Ashworth Scale is the most widely clinical scale used to measure the increase of muscle tone. Reliability is not an immutable property of a scale and can vary as a function of the variability and composition of the sample to which it is administered. The best method to examine how the reliability of a test scores varies is by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the reliability coefficients obtained in different applications of the test with the data at hand.