Psychometric Properties of the Lower Extremity Subscale of the Fugl-Myer Assessment for Community-dwelling Hemiplegic Stroke Patients.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the lower extremity subscale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment lower extremity (FMA-LE) for community-dwelling hemiplegic stroke patients. [Subjects] The participants were 140 community-dwelling hemiplegic stroke patients. [Methods] To determine the psychometric properties of the FMA-LE, we examined construct validity, response characteristics, item discrimination, and internal consistency. [Results] Factor analysis of the FMA-LE revealed that the first factor explained 61.73% of the variance and provided evidence of unidimensionality. The FMA-LE did not show ceiling or floor effects; Cronbach's α was 0.935 (95% CI: 0.919-0.950). [Conclusion] Because the FMA-LE seems to be both valid and reliable, we conclude that it is appropriate for the measurement of the lower extremity motor impairment of community-dwelling hemiplegic stroke patients.