Sergio Clavijo-Buendía1, Francisco Molina-Rueda1, Patricia Martín-Casas2, Paulina Ortega-Bastidas3, Esther Monge-Pereira4, Sofía Laguarta-Val1, Matilde Morales-Cabezas1, Roberto Cano-de-la-Cuerda1. 1. Department of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Health Sciences Faculty, Rey Juan Carlos University, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. 2. Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain. 3. Department of Kinesiology, Medicine Faculty, Concepción University, Concepción, Chile. 4. Department of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Health Sciences Faculty, Rey Juan Carlos University, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: esther.monge@urjc.es.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mobile applications may be used to assess gait pattern deviation through mobile smartphones in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, few studies have investigated their psychometrics properties. RESEARCH QUESTION: To study the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the RUNZI® free mobile application in people with mild to moderate PD. METHODS: Thirty individuals were evaluated with the RUNZI® app and with the 10-meter walking test (10 MW), simultaneously. In addition, the Timed Up & Go test (TUG), Tinetti scale, and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used to study the construct validity. Also, test-retest reliability of the mobile for spatio-temporal gait parameters was explored. RESULTS: The correlation indices of the 10 MW test with the RUNZI® app at fast speeds was moderate to excellent (r = .588-.957). At a comfortable speed, the correlation was excellent for walking speed (r = 0.944), moderate for steps (r = 0.780) and stride length (r = 0.760), and poor for cadence (r = .424). Results showed significant correlations between TUG and spatio-temporal gait parameters at fast and comfortable speeds. There were no significant correlations or consistent associations between Tinetti and BBS and RUNZI®. The test-retest reliability was good to excellent for parameters measured with the RUNZI®. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings highlight specific opportunities for a free smartphone-based spatio-temporal gait analysis to serve as a complement to conventional gait analysis methods in clinical practice with a moderate to excellent construct validity with the 10 MW test and good to excellent test-retest reliability in PD patients.
BACKGROUND: Mobile applications may be used to assess gait pattern deviation through mobile smartphones in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, few studies have investigated their psychometrics properties. RESEARCH QUESTION: To study the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the RUNZI® free mobile application in people with mild to moderate PD. METHODS: Thirty individuals were evaluated with the RUNZI® app and with the 10-meter walking test (10 MW), simultaneously. In addition, the Timed Up & Go test (TUG), Tinetti scale, and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used to study the construct validity. Also, test-retest reliability of the mobile for spatio-temporal gait parameters was explored. RESULTS: The correlation indices of the 10 MW test with the RUNZI® app at fast speeds was moderate to excellent (r = .588-.957). At a comfortable speed, the correlation was excellent for walking speed (r = 0.944), moderate for steps (r = 0.780) and stride length (r = 0.760), and poor for cadence (r = .424). Results showed significant correlations between TUG and spatio-temporal gait parameters at fast and comfortable speeds. There were no significant correlations or consistent associations between Tinetti and BBS and RUNZI®. The test-retest reliability was good to excellent for parameters measured with the RUNZI®. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings highlight specific opportunities for a free smartphone-based spatio-temporal gait analysis to serve as a complement to conventional gait analysis methods in clinical practice with a moderate to excellent construct validity with the 10 MW test and good to excellent test-retest reliability in PDpatients.
Authors: Anderson Antunes da Costa Moraes; Manuela Brito Duarte; Eduardo Veloso Ferreira; Gizele Cristina da Silva Almeida; Enzo Gabriel da Rocha Santos; Gustavo Henrique Lima Pinto; Paulo Rui de Oliveira; César Ferreira Amorim; André Dos Santos Cabral; Anselmo de Athayde Costa E Silva; Givago Silva Souza; Bianca Callegari Journal: Sensors (Basel) Date: 2022-04-12 Impact factor: 3.847