Are paediatric lower limb neurological tests clinimetrically sound? A systematic review

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Author(s)
Clark, Ramona
Locke, Melissa
Hill, Bridget
Bialocerkowski, Andrea
Year published
2015
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Questions: Do clinimetrically-sound lower limb neurological examinations exist for paediatric individuals aged under 18 years with a neurological condition? Design: Systematic review with clinimetric properties from studies critically appraised and synthesised. Participants: Primary studies focussed on the clinimetric evaluation of lower limb neurological tests for muscle strength, sensation, or reflexes for children and young people with a neurological condition. Outcome Measures: The methodological quality of each primary study was rated from poor to excellent using a critical appraisal tool. Clinimetric properties for ...
View more >Questions: Do clinimetrically-sound lower limb neurological examinations exist for paediatric individuals aged under 18 years with a neurological condition? Design: Systematic review with clinimetric properties from studies critically appraised and synthesised. Participants: Primary studies focussed on the clinimetric evaluation of lower limb neurological tests for muscle strength, sensation, or reflexes for children and young people with a neurological condition. Outcome Measures: The methodological quality of each primary study was rated from poor to excellent using a critical appraisal tool. Clinimetric properties for each neurological test were then synthesised. Results: Eight clinimetric studies were identified. All evaluated the reliability of lower limb muscle strength. Strength, however, was evaluated using a variety of different tests. The quality of these studies was rated as fair to good and variable reliability was found. Hand-held dynamometer had the greatest volume of evidence in children and young people with cerebral palsy. However, the evidence appeared too variable to support its use. Conclusion: The limited clinimetric properties found for lower limb muscle strength tests in children with a neurological condition demonstrates that additional high quality research is required for neurological examinations of the lower limb in paediatric individuals with a neurological condition.
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View more >Questions: Do clinimetrically-sound lower limb neurological examinations exist for paediatric individuals aged under 18 years with a neurological condition? Design: Systematic review with clinimetric properties from studies critically appraised and synthesised. Participants: Primary studies focussed on the clinimetric evaluation of lower limb neurological tests for muscle strength, sensation, or reflexes for children and young people with a neurological condition. Outcome Measures: The methodological quality of each primary study was rated from poor to excellent using a critical appraisal tool. Clinimetric properties for each neurological test were then synthesised. Results: Eight clinimetric studies were identified. All evaluated the reliability of lower limb muscle strength. Strength, however, was evaluated using a variety of different tests. The quality of these studies was rated as fair to good and variable reliability was found. Hand-held dynamometer had the greatest volume of evidence in children and young people with cerebral palsy. However, the evidence appeared too variable to support its use. Conclusion: The limited clinimetric properties found for lower limb muscle strength tests in children with a neurological condition demonstrates that additional high quality research is required for neurological examinations of the lower limb in paediatric individuals with a neurological condition.
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Conference Title
CONNECT Physiotherapy Conference 2015 (CONNECT 2015)
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Copyright Statement
© 2015 Australian Physiotherapy Society. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the conference's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Neurology and neuromuscular diseases