Geert Verheyden, Alice Nieuwboer, Ann Van de Winckel and Willy De Weerdt
The objective of this study was to give a systematic review of clinical measurement scales used to assess trunk performance after stroke. A total of 458 articles resulted from the database search. Thirty-two articles were eligible for inclusion. Earlier studies mentioned ordinal single items or a combination of items which are part of a larger scale used to assess sitting balance as a derived measure of trunk performance. Three clinical tools were available which specifically evaluated trunk performance after stroke, the Trunk Control Test and two Trunk Impairment Scales. Ordinal single items or subscales of existing larger scales lack a systematic evaluation of psychometric characteristics. Both Trunk Impairment Scales have been extensively examined. A comparative study assessing psychometric properties of the Trunk Control Test and two Trunk Impairment Scales could determine which should be the measure of choice when assessing trunk performance after stroke.
Clinical Rehabilitation, 2007, 21(5), 387-394