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. 2023 Mar 21:55:jrm00378.
doi: 10.2340/jrm.v55.4381.

Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability of the 20-Meter Ambulation Test in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Emilie Hutin  1 , Mouna Ghédira  2 , Valentina Mardale  3 , Mina Boutou  3 , Tharaga Santiago  3 , Sandrine Joudoux  3 , Caroline Gault-Colas  3 , Jean-Michel Gracies  2 , Nicolas Bayle  4
Affiliations

Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability of the 20-Meter Ambulation Test in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Emilie Hutin et al. J Rehabil Med. .

Abstract

Objective: In patients with Parkinson's disease, limited sit-to-stand, walk and turn contribute to decreased independence and quality of life. The 20-meter Ambulation Test (AT20) evaluates walking a total of 20 m, over a 10-m distance, back and forth between 2 chairs, starting and ending in a seated position. The aim of this study was to evaluate test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the AT20 in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Methods: Patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease performed the AT20 in 3 conditions: free speed, fast speed, and with large steps, twice 1 week apart. The total number of steps and the time to complete the task were recorded manually by 4 independent raters. The main outcome criteria were the test-retest and inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficients and coefficients of variation for speed, step length and cadence in the 3 conditions.

Results: Twenty participants completed the 2 visits. Across all conditions, test-retest and inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficients for step length and speed were > 95%. Test-retest and inter-rater coefficients of variation were < 0.08.

Conclusion: The AT20 is a reliable ambulation test in Parkinson's disease, with excellent test-retest and inter-rater reliability for step length and speed in all 3 conditions: at free speed, fast speed, and with large steps. The AT20 might be useful to assess ambulation in parkinsonism in clinical practice.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The 20-m ambulation test (AT20). The AT20 evaluates walking over a 20 m total distance back and forth between 2 chairs, 10 m apart, starting and ending in a seated position.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Intraclass correlation coefficients, coefficients of variation and mean absolute differences. The results are expressed in mean (SD) of the 4 raters and the 20 patients for (A) the intraclass correlation coefficients, (B) coefficients of variation, and (C) mean absolute differences. Mean absolute differences are expressed in m/s for speed, m for step length and step/s for cadence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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