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Affiliation
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Kennedy Krieger Institute, Motion Analysis Laboratory, Baltimore MD; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Baltimore MD; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Baltimore MD. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To examine the concurrent validity of the Six-Spot Step Test (SSST) with clinical measures of walking and spatiotemporal measures of gait in Multiple Sclerosis, and to understand the utility of the SSST in individuals with both low and high levels of disability.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-nine individuals with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In a single visit, demographic information (age, gender, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), symptom duration) and functional measures (SSST, Timed Up and Go, Timed 25 Foot Walk, spatiotemporal measures of walking) were collected.
RESULTS: The SSST demonstrates concurrent validity with the Timed Up and Go, Timed 25 Foot Walk, and the Two Minute Walk Test (p≤0.0002). Both spatial and temporal measures of gait are significantly related to SSST performance (p<0.004). In individuals with lower disability (EDSS 1.0-3.5), the SSST remains strongly related to Timed Up and Go and Timed 25 Foot Walk performance, while it fails to relate to any other measures. However, in the higher disability group (EDSS 4.0-6.0), the SSST is significantly related to the Timed Up and Go, Timed 25 Foot Walk, Two Minute Walk Test, and walk velocity, as well as both temporal and spatial measures of gait.
CONCLUSIONS: The SSST is an alternative test for lower extremity function in the clinical setting that may useful in both high and low EDSS groups. The SSST requires minimal training to administer and may be a time-efficient measure of real-life functional performance that would be useful in large clinical trials.
Language: en |