Journal of Physical Therapy Science
Online ISSN : 2187-5626
Print ISSN : 0915-5287
ISSN-L : 0915-5287
Original Articles
Clinical Usefulness of the Pendulum Test Using a NK Table to Measure the Spasticity of Patients with Brain Lesions
Yong-Wook Kim
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2013 Volume 25 Issue 10 Pages 1279-1283

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Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to investigate the clinical usefulness (reliability and validity) of the pendulum test using a Noland-Kuckhoff (NK) table with an attached electrogoniometer to measure the spasticity of patients with brain lesions. [Subjects] The subjects were 31 patients with stroke or traumatic brain injury. [Methods] The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to verify the test–retest reliability of spasticity measures obtained using the pendulum test. Pearson's product correlation coefficient was used to examine the validity of the pendulum test using the amplitude of the patellar tendon reflex (PTR) test, an objective and quantitative measure of spasticity. [Results] The test–retest reliability was high, reflecting a significant correlation between the test and the retest (ICCs = 0.95–0.97). A significant negative correlation was found between the amplitude of the PTR test and the four variables measured in the pendulum test (r = −0.77– −0.85). [Conclusion] The pendulum test using a NK table is an objective measure of spasticity and can be used in the clinical setting in place of more expensive and complicated equipment. Further studies are needed to investigate the therapeutic effect of this method on spasticity.

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© 2013 by the Society of Physical Therapy Science

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd) License.
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