Measuring gait and gait-related activities in Parkinson's patients own home environment: a reliability, responsiveness and feasibility study

Lim, L.I.I.K.; van Wegen, E.E.H.; de Goede, C.J.T; Jones, D.; Rochester, L.; Hetherington, V.; Nieuwboer, A.; Willems, A.M.; Kwakkel, G.

doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2004.06.003

« Previous Next »Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
Volume 11, Issue 1 , Pages 19-24, January 2005

Measuring gait and gait-related activities in Parkinson's patients own home environment: a reliability, responsiveness and feasibility study

L.I.I.K. Lim
- Department of physiotherapy, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Corresponding authorTel.: +31-20-4440463; fax: +31-20-4440469.
E.E.H. van Wegen
- Department of physiotherapy, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
C.J.T de Goede
- Department of physiotherapy, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
D. Jones
- School of Health, Community and Education Studies, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
L. Rochester
- School of Health, Community and Education Studies, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
V. Hetherington
- School of Health, Community and Education Studies, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
A. Nieuwboer
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
A.M. Willems
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
G. Kwakkel
- Department of physiotherapy, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Received 12 February 2004; received in revised form 10 June 2004; accepted 18 June 2004.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess reliability, responsiveness and feasibility of gait and gait related tests in the home of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, a timed walking test, the Timed Get Up and Go test the Berg Balance Scale and the Functional Reach test were applied by three independent observers on 26 PD patients. Moderate to high Intraclass Correlation Coefficients were found, ranging from 0.74 to 0.88 and 0.64 to 0.87 for the intra- and inter-observer reliability, respectively. All test showed Reliable Change Indexes under 11% and the whole test battery was applicable within 30min.