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The reliability of the MSFC and its components
Author(s) -
RostiOtajärvi E.,
Hämäläinen P.,
Koivisto K.,
Hokkanen L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2007.00972.x
Subject(s) - reliability (semiconductor) , multiple sclerosis , clinical practice , paced auditory serial addition test , psychology , medicine , audiology , physical therapy , cognition , physics , neuropsychology , psychiatry , power (physics) , quantum mechanics
Background – The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) is a multidimensional measurement tool for multiple sclerosis (MS) including a measure of ambulation (Timed 25‐foot Walk [TWT]), arm function (Nine‐Hole Peg Test [9HPT]) and cognition (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test [PASAT]). Objectives – To assess the reliability and practice effects in the Finnish version of the MSFC and its components. Materials and methods – Ten relapsing–remitting MS patients and 10 healthy controls underwent five testing sessions with the MSFC over a 4‐week period. Results – The MSFC showed excellent intra‐ (0.99) and inter‐rater (1.0) reliability. The MSFC, especially the 9HPT and the PASAT showed significant practice effects. On the 9HPT the controls remained stable whereas the patients improved their performance; on the PASAT both groups improved. Conclusions – The MSFC showed excellent intra‐ and inter‐rater reliability although the 9HPT and the PASAT were prone to considerable practice effects.