Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the stroke upper limb capacity scale

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) compared to the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE). Patients with hemiplegia after stroke (<i>n</i> = 60). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to explore the reliability, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to analyze validity. Floor and ceiling effects were counted. The ICCs for inter-rater reliability and intra-rater reliability were ICC = 0.985 (95%CI = 0.966–0.992) and ICC = 0.982 (95%CI = 0.970–0.989), respectively. The SULCS demonstrated a strong correlation with the WMFT (<i>r</i> = 0.922, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and FMA-UE (<i>r</i> = 0.921, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) at baseline. The WMFT and FMA at week 3 were as strong as those at baseline (<i>r</i> = 0.946, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001 and <i>r</i> = 0.952, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001, respectively). There was a strong longitudinal correlation between the changes in SULCS and WMFT and FMA-UE from baseline to week 3 (<i>r</i> = 0.745, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001 and <i>r</i> = 0.768, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001, respectively). No floor and ceiling effects were detected in any assessment. Our analysis of the psychometric properties supports the use of the Chinese version of the SULCS to measure upper limb capacity in patients with hemiplegia after stroke. StrokeThe Chinese version of Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) is a valid and reliable tool to assess the capacity of the upper extremity in patients with stroke.The instructions of SULCS are easy to understand and implement, and notably elderly patients, those with aphasia, and individuals with mild cognitive impairment can also follow the tasks.The SULCS is an easy-to-use and feasible scale that is recommended for clinical and study purposes. The Chinese version of Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) is a valid and reliable tool to assess the capacity of the upper extremity in patients with stroke. The instructions of SULCS are easy to understand and implement, and notably elderly patients, those with aphasia, and individuals with mild cognitive impairment can also follow the tasks. The SULCS is an easy-to-use and feasible scale that is recommended for clinical and study purposes.

本研究旨在评估中文版脑卒中上肢功能量表（Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale, SULCS）相较于沃尔夫运动功能测试（Wolf Motor Function Test, WMFT）以及上肢福格迈尔评估量表（Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity, FMA-UE）的信度与效度。本研究纳入60例脑卒中后偏瘫患者。
采用组内相关系数（intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC）及对应95%置信区间（confidence intervals, CI）探究其信度，以斯皮尔曼相关系数分析效度，并统计地板效应与天花板效应的发生情况。
评定者间信度与评定者内信度的ICC值分别为0.985（95%CI=0.966~0.992）与0.982（95%CI=0.970~0.989）。基线时，SULCS与WMFT（r=0.922，p<0.001）及FMA-UE（r=0.921，p<0.001）均呈强相关性。第3周时，WMFT与FMA-UE得分与基线得分同样呈强相关（分别为r=0.946，p<0.001与r=0.952，p<0.001）。从基线至第3周，SULCS与WMFT、FMA-UE的变化量亦存在强纵向相关性（分别为r=0.745，p<0.001与r=0.768，p<0.001）。所有评估环节均未检测到地板效应与天花板效应。
本心理测量学特性分析结果证实，中文版SULCS可用于评估脑卒中后偏瘫患者的上肢功能。中文版脑卒中上肢功能量表（SULCS）是一款用于评估脑卒中患者上肢功能的有效且可靠的工具。该量表的指导说明易于理解与实施，老年患者、失语症患者及轻度认知障碍人群亦可顺利完成测评任务。SULCS是一款易用且可行性强的量表，推荐用于临床实践与科学研究。
中文版脑卒中上肢功能量表（SULCS）是一款用于评估脑卒中患者上肢功能的有效且可靠的工具。该量表的指导说明易于理解与实施，老年患者、失语症患者及轻度认知障碍人群亦可顺利完成测评任务。SULCS是一款易用且可行性强的量表，推荐用于临床实践与科学研究。