Purpose: The first step to manage motor impairment of upper limb in patients with subacute stroke is having an accurate assessment tool. The Fugl-Meyer assessment of upper extremity and 9-hole pegboard test are used to evaluate motor function and hand dexterity in stroke survivals. The present study aimed to investigate the test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) in these two tests.
Methods: A total of 15 patients with subacute stroke (54-76 years old) participated in this study. They were selected non-randomly from rehabilitation clinics and hospitals of Tehran, Iran, based on inclusive and exclusive criteria. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error measurement (SEM), and MDC were used for investigating intraday and interday reliability for 1 hour and 3 days.
Results: Intraday reliabilities of Fugl-Meyer and 9-hole pegboard were excellent with ICC of 0.98 and 0.98, also MDC of 1.96 and 8.59, respectively. The interday reliabilities of these tests were also excellent with ICC of 0.99 and 0.96, as well as MDC of 1.52 and 12.69, respectively. The absolute reliability (SEM) was less than 10% of maximum acquired scores indicating acceptable errors of measurement.
Conclusion: Results show that the Fugl-Meyer assessment and 9-hole pegboard test have excellent test-retest reliability. Therefore these tests can be used for appropriate treatment planning and clinical decision making in patients with subacute stroke