Psychometric Properties of a New Measure of Upper Limb Performance in Post-Stroke Individuals: Trunk-Based Index of Performance.
Daniele Piscitelli, Melanie C Baniña, Timothy K Lam and 2 others
PMID 36575955WHAT IT FOUND
A new measure called IPt combines speed, accuracy, and trunk compensation in stroke reaching.
It showed excellent stability over time and could distinguish mild from moderate-to-severe impairment, offering a way to track motor skill changes beyond standard clinical scores.
Key findings
01The IPt measure demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability with an ICC of .908 across three sessions.
02IPt scores showed a low-to-moderate relationship with standard clinical measures like FMA-UE and ARAT, suggesting they capture distinct aspects of motor skill.
03The measure could discriminate between mild and moderate-to-severe hemiparesis, with AUC values ranging from 0.792 to 0.848.
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 included only 25 participants, limiting the generalizability of the findings. The measure requires a high-precision motion capture system, which is not available in most clinical settings. The study did not determine the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID), so clinicians do not yet know what change in IPt score matters to a patient. The reaching task used was simple (pointing/touching) and did not involve grasping or object manipulation, which may limit its application to complex daily activities. The sample consisted of individuals with chronic stroke (3 months to 5 years post-stroke), so results may not apply to acute stroke patients.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this measure is ready for clinical use. It requires specialized motion capture equipment and the study did not establish what score change constitutes a clinically meaningful improvement for a patient.