Is the dynamic gait index a useful outcome to measure balance and ambulation in patients with cerebellar ataxia?
Rachel Reoli, Amanda Therrien, Kendra Cherry-Allen and 3 others
PMID 34333242WHAT IT FOUND
The Dynamic Gait Index reliably and validly measures balance and walking in ambulatory adults with cerebellar ataxia.
Scores from different therapists and repeated tests matched closely. This gives clinicians a standardized activity-level outcome for tracking progress in this population.
Key findings
01The DGI showed strong correlations with standard ataxia impairment scales (ICARS and SARA), indicating good construct validity.
02Inter-rater reliability was excellent across four therapists with varying experience, and test-retest reliability was high within a 60-minute interval.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study only included ambulatory participants, so the DGI's utility is unproven for patients who cannot walk. The test-retest interval was short (60 minutes), which may not reflect stability over longer periods or after interventions. The sample size was small (n=20), limiting the ability to detect subtle differences between subgroups. The stair-climbing item of the DGI was scored by patient report rather than observation because the clinic lacked stairs. The study did not establish fall-risk cutoffs or minimal clinically important differences.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial or personal relationships to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the DGI to predict fall risk in patients with cerebellar ataxia. While the measure is reliable for assessing current balance and gait function, this study was not designed or powered to establish cutoff scores for falls, unlike in some other neurological populations.