Performance Stability and Interrater Reliability of Culturally Adapted 10-Meter Walking Test for Danes with Neurological Disorders.

BACKGROUND

The 10-meter Walking Test (10MWT) is often used to assess people with, e.g., stroke, but often using different procedures. The aims of this study were to translate the 10MWT into Danish, to determine the number of trials needed to achieve performance stability, and to examine the interrater reliability and agreement of the 10MWT in people with neurological disorders.

METHODS

Translation followed international recommendations, and evaluated in a consecutive sample of 50 people with a neurological disorder. All participants performed 5 timed 10MWT trials (usual speed) with 20-seconds rest intervals between trials, supervised by a physical therapist. A second session was conducted with another physical therapist, separated with a mean (SD) of 2.7 (0.9) hours. The order of raters was randomized and they were blinded to each other's ratings. Repeated measures ANOVA determined performance stability, while ICC1.1, standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC95) determined reproducibility.

RESULTS

Participant's improved their 10MWT scores significantly between the first and second trial only. The faster of the 2 trials took a mean of 11.95 (5.40) seconds, and significantly (P < 0.001) faster than the slowest; mean of 12.80 (6.13) seconds. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC; 95% confidence interval), SEM, and MDC, based on the fastest of 2 trials, were 0.97 (0.95-0.98), 0.06 m/s, and 0.17 m/s, respectively, and with no systematic between rater's bias.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that the faster of 2 timed trials be recorded for the 10MWT in people with neurological disorders, as we found excellent interrater reliability and low measurement error using this score.