The Korean version of relative and absolute reliability of gait and balance assessment tools for patients with dementia in day care center and nursing home.
Han Suk Lee, Sun Wook Park, Hyung Kuk Chung
PMID 29200628WHAT IT FOUND
For older adults with dementia in day care centers or nursing homes, the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go and Groningen Meander Walking Test gave stable scores across examiners and repeat testing.
The four-meter walk was less dependable.
Key findings
01Examiner agreement was excellent for TUG, BBS and GMWT, and high for 4MWT.
02Repeat testing 3 to 7 days later showed excellent reliability for TUG, BBS and GMWT, and high reliability for 4MWT.
03On repeat testing, the 4MWT was not dependable enough to accept.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The paper set the target number at 75, but 53 were analyzed, and the authors state the results are difficult to generalize. The paper states 19 participants were dropped, and it reports 22 of the 75 who agreed were unable to take part. Participants could use a walking aid, so their test scores may not reflect their usual walking ability. Three examiners assessed each person at the same time, which could affect how they performed the tests. Emotional state on the day of testing may have lowered some participants' scores. The 4MWT used stopwatch timing over a short distance, and examiner timing differences may have increased error.
Declared interests
This study was partially funded by Eulji University in 2016. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that all four assessment tools are equally useful. The four-meter walk was not dependable enough to accept for detecting real individual change.