Review of the psychometric properties of upper limb motor coordination tests for stroke subjects

Abstract

Objective: To summarize the psychometric properties and clinical utility of tests, which assess motor coordination of the upper limbs in stroke subjects. Methods: A computerized search was performed on the Medline, EMBASE, PsynINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, SciELO, PEDro, Cochrane, and OT Seeker databases, followed by a manual search. Two independent researchers extratcted the data. Results: The initial search returned 2,152 studies and 2,116 were excluded. The manual search returned seven studies and thus, the total number of included studies was 43. The psychometric properties of the 16 tests demonstrated, in general, adequate psychometric properties. However, only six studies reported values for all of
the basic properties. The clinical utility scale revealed that not all tests were quickly administered, cheap, and practical to be applied. Conclusions: The defi ciency in literature of studies that investigate the psychometric properties of the upper limb motor coordination
test may limit the interpretation and use of these instruments in clinical practice and research. In addition, clinical utility is an important factor to be considered when selecting assesment tests.