Dimensionality and Item-Difficulty Hierarchy of the Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment in Individuals with Subacute and Chronic Stroke Presented in part as a poster to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, November 13, 2013, Orlando, FL.

Chitralakshmi K. Balasubramanian, Chih Ying Li, Mark G. Bowden, Pamela W. Duncan, Steven A. Kautz, Craig A. Velozo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective To investigate the dimensionality and item-difficulty hierarchy of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the lower extremity (FMA-LE). Design Secondary analyses of data pooled from 4 existing datasets: a phase III randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of body weight support and a treadmill for rehabilitation of walking poststroke, and 3 cross-sectional studies investigating the link between impaired motor performance poststroke and walking. Setting University research centers and rehabilitation centers. Participants A pooled sample of individuals with a stroke (N=535, men=313; mean age ± SD, 61.91±12.42y). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and Rasch residual principal component analysis (PCA) investigated the dimensionality of the FMA-LE. The Rasch analysis rating scale model investigated item-difficulty hierarchy of the FMA-LE. Results The CFA showed adequate fit of a 3-factor model, with 2 out of 3 indices (CFA=.95; Tucker-Lewis Index=.94; root mean square error of approximation=.124) showing good model fit. Rasch PCA showed that removal of the reflex and coordination items explained 90.8% of variance in the data, suggesting that the abnormal synergy items contributed to the measurement of a unidimensional construct. However, rating scale model results revealed deviations in the item-difficulty hierarchy of the unidimensional abnormal synergy items from the originally proposed stepwise sequence of motor recovery. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the FMA-LE might represent a multidimensional construct, challenging the use of a total score of the FMA-LE to predict lower extremity motor recovery. Removal of the misfit items resulted in creation of a unidimensional scale composed of the abnormal synergy items. However, this unidimensional scale deviates from the originally proposed hierarchical ordering.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)582-589.e2
JournalArchives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume97
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Lower extremity
  • Rehabilitation
  • Stroke

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
  • Rehabilitation

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