The concurrent validity and responsiveness of the high-level mobility assessment tool for measuring the mobility limitations of people with traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the concurrent validity and responsiveness of the High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool (HiMAT) in people after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

DESIGN

This study compared the concurrent validity and responsiveness of the motor subsection of the FIM instrument and the gross function component of the Rivermead Motor Assessment (RMA) with the HiMAT, a new measure of high-level mobility developed for use in TBI.

SETTING

A major rehabilitation hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 103 participants with TBI were recruited from a major rehabilitation hospital.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

HiMAT, motor FIM, and the gross function RMA.

RESULTS

The correlation between the HiMAT and motor FIM was moderate (r=.53, P<.001), largely because of a ceiling effect in the motor FIM. The correlation between the HiMAT and gross function RMA was strong (r=.87, P<.001), yet the gross function RMA was also susceptible to a ceiling effect, with 51.5% of subjects achieving the maximum score. The HiMAT was more responsive than the motor FIM and the gross function RMA on all indices.

CONCLUSIONS

The HiMAT is a new unidimensional scale with moderate concurrent validity for measuring high-level mobility. The HiMAT is more responsive and has less of a ceiling effect than either the motor FIM or the gross function RMA.