Reliability and validity of the long-distance corridor walk among stroke survivors

Abstract

Objective: To identify the psychometric properties of the Long-Distance Corridor Walk (LDCW) among community-dwelling stroke survivors. Design: Cross-sectional. Subjects: Twenty-five stroke survivors and 25 healthy older adults. Methods: The LDCW was administered to the 25 stroke survivors on 2 separate days with a 7-day interval. Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the Lower Extremities (FMA-LE), measurement of lower limb muscle strength, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), limit of stability (LOS), Narrow-Corridor Walk Test (NCWT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and the Community Integration Measure-Cantonese version (CIM) were performed on one of the days. The healthy older adults completed the LDCW once, and the results were recorded by a random rater. Results: The LDCW showed excellent inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability, and significant correlations with FMA-LE, BBS, TUG, and NCWT. A cutoff score of 127.5 m for the 2-min walk and 426.69 s for the 400-m walk distinguished stroke survivors from healthy older adults. The MDC in the LDCW in the 2-min walk and 400-m walk were 18.69 m and 121.43 s, respectively. Conclusion: The LDCW is a reliable clinical measurement tool for the assessment of advanced walking capacity in stroke survivors.