HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Van Dillen, L. R Articles by Roach, K. E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Van Dillen, L. R Articles by Roach, K. E Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Interrater Reliability of a Clinical Scale of Rigidity

L. Van Dillen, MHS-PT, is Instructor, Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University, PO Box 8083, 6060 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110, and a doctoral candidate, Department of Psychology, Washington University.
K. Roach, MHS-PT, is Research Coordinator, Health Services Research Division, Edward J. Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, Fifth Ave and Roosevelt Rd, Hines, IL 60141, and a doctoral student, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
Ms. Van Dillen and Ms. Roach were graduate students at Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO, when this study was conducted. This study was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Ms. Van Dillen's and Ms. Roach's Master of Health Science in Physical Therapy degree, Washington University Medical School.

The purposes of this study were 1) to describe a clinical scale of rigidity and testing procedure for use in patients with Parkinson's disease and 2) to examine the scale's interrater reliability. Twenty subjects (3 women, 17 men; age = 64 years, s = 16.3) participated in the study. Criteria for participation were 1) diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, 2) physician-documented rigidity, 3) ability to follow one-step verbal directions, and 4) ability to attain at least 75% of the standard passive-range-of-motion measurements of the elbow, forearm, and wrist of the tested upper extremity. Each of two raters used a standardized set of instructions and test procedures. The degree of rigidity was assessed using a four-point scale ranging from 0 (absent) to 3 (severe). The observed agreement between raters was 16 out of 20 trials. A Cohen's weighted Kappa was used to analyze the data (Kw = .636, p = .20). Factors were identified that may have contributed to the discrepancy between agreement and the agreement beyond chance.

Key Words: Parkinson disease • Tests and measurements, range of motion • Upper extremity, general

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?