Inter-rater reliability of kinesthetic measurements with the KINARM robotic exoskeleton.
Jennifer A Semrau, Troy M Herter, Stephen H Scott and 1 others
PMID 28532512WHAT IT FOUND
When different robot operators set up the same participant, scores for matching arm movement were similar.
The test can be used consistently by different operators, but it did not test treatment effects or daily function.
Key findings
01Different operators produced similar arm movement matching scores, with reliability values from 0.69 to 0.95 without vision and 0.53 to 0.97 with vision.
02Six stroke participants failed the movement matching task in both the first and second sessions without vision.
03When the groups were examined separately, agreement between operators was generally higher for stroke participants than for controls.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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
Only 15 people with stroke were studied. Three stroke participants did not complete the vision condition, and the vision condition was analysed with 12 stroke participants. The time between the two robot sessions varied widely: 1.3 hours median for controls, with a range from 0.6 to 192.4 hours, and 21.5 hours for stroke participants, with a range from 0.3 to 52.8 hours. The study did not test whether using the robot changes therapy decisions or patient function. Participants with aphasia, apraxia or significant cognitive impairment that limited three-step instructions were excluded. The reliability was based on two sessions, not a long-term follow-up.
Declared interests
The work was funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high agreement scores as proof that the robot test improves stroke care. It only shows that different operators produced similar scores on the test in a small group.