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Validation of a portable instrument for assessing tremor severity in epidemiologic field studies
Author(s) -
Louis Elan D.,
Yousefzadeh Edna,
Barnes Livia F.,
Yu Qiping,
Pullman Seth L.,
Wendt Kristin J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/1531-8257(200001)15:1<95::aid-mds1015>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - medicine , test (biology) , physical therapy , physical medicine and rehabilitation , essential tremor , battery (electricity) , psychology , audiology , paleontology , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
Abstract BACKGROUND An important part of epidemiologic and genetic studies of essential tremor (ET) is an assessment of tremor severity. Clinical rating scales are semiquantitative and computerized tremor analysis, available at tertiary medical centers, is not transportable into the field. As part of an epidemiologic study, we modified the Klove‐Matthews Motor Steadiness Battery, collecting objective quantitative data on tremor severity in patients with ET and control subjects. OBJECTIVE To describe the modified Klove‐Matthews Motor Steadiness Battery, validate this test battery against several other measures of tremor severity, demonstrate test–retest reliability, and provide standard reference values for normal control subjects and patients with ET who undergo this test battery. METHODS Patients with ET and control subjects, ascertained from both a clinic and a community, underwent a standardized evaluation including a demographic and medical questionnaire, tremor disability questionnaire, videotaped tremor examination, performance‐based test, modified Klove‐Matthews Motor Steadiness Battery (Groove‐Type Steadiness Tester [GTST] and Nine‐Hole Steadiness Tester [NHST]), and quantitative computerized tremor analysis. RESULTS There were 19 patients with ET and 28 control subjects. NHST and GTST total scores were correlated significantly with the tremor disability questionnaire score (r = 0.63, p = 0.001 and r = 0.49, p = 0.016), total tremor score (tremor examination, r = 0.68, p <0.001 and r = 0.41, p = 0.005), performance‐based test score (r = 0.81, p <0.001 and r = 0.65, p = 0.001), and quantitative computerized tremor analysis results (for example, spiral drawing, r = 0.62, p = 0.01 and r = 0.58, p = 0.019). Test–retest reliability was generally high (r = 0.79–0.94, p <0.001). CONCLUSION The modified Klove‐Matthews Motor Steadiness Battery provides a reliable and valid means to collect objective quantitative data on tremor severity. Rapidity of administration and ease of transport make it a potentially useful tool in epidemiologic and genetic field studies.