Test-Retest Reproducibility and Smallest Real Difference of 5 Hand Function Tests in Patients With Stroke

Abstract

All 5 tests demonstrated satisfactory test-retest reproducibility for a diverse group of patients with stroke. However, all tests showed higher levels of measurement error when performed with the more affected hand and in patients with hypertonicity of that hand. Thus, baseline and postrehabilitation change scores using these common tests of strength and dexterity must be interpreted with some caution, especially in poorly controlled clinical trials. Repeated measures ought to be incorporated to examine reliability within a trial that includes participants with a hypertonic hand.