Clinical Assessment of Walking Capacity in People With Parkinson Disease: Are 2 Minutes Sufficient?
Hanna Johansson, Linda Rennie, Wilhelmus J A Grooten and 1 others
PMID 40089877WHAT IT FOUND
A 2-minute walk test predicted 93.2% of the distance covered on a 6-minute walk in people with mild to moderate Parkinson disease.
Although patients walked faster and covered more distance in the shorter test, the 2-minute version is a valid, time-saving alternative for clinical assessment.
Key findings
01The distance walked in 2 minutes explained 93.2% of the variance in the 6-minute walk distance, with a correlation coefficient of 0.966.
02Participants walked significantly faster during the 2-minute test than the 6-minute test, with a mean difference of 0.08 m/s.
03The 2-minute walk test showed good validity: it correlated strongly with the 6-minute test, poorly with quality of life, and significantly distinguished between Hoehn and Yahr stages 2 and 3.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study had no a priori power calculation, so the sample size might not have been sufficient to detect smaller effects. The order of tests was not randomized; the 6MWT was always performed before the 2MWT, which could have acted as a warm-up and improved 2MWT performance. Participants reported higher exertion and breathlessness before the 2MWT than before the 6MWT, despite the rest period. The findings apply only to people with mild to moderate Parkinson disease (Hoehn and Yahr stages 2-3) who were in their 'on' medication state; it is unclear if they generalize to more severe disease or 'off' medication states. The study did not assess test-retest reliability of the 2MWT, which is needed for conclusive clinical recommendations. Gait parameter differences, while statistically significant, were small, and their clinical importance is uncertain.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Stockholm Sjukhem Foundation, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life and Welfare (FORTE), NEURO Sweden, the Swedish Parkinson Foundation, the Promobilia Foundation, Region Stockholm, and the Kamprad Family Foundation. The funders played no role in the design, conduct, or reporting of the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the 2-minute walk test is simply one-third of the 6-minute walk test. Patients walked faster and covered more distance relative to time in the shorter test, so the relationship is not linear. Use the 2MWT as a standalone measure with its own normative data or interpretation, not as a direct fraction of the 6MWT.