The following is a summary of “Factor analysis for construct validity of a trunk impairment scale in Parkinson’s disease: a cross-sectional study,” published in the January 2024 issue of Neurology by Sato et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine if the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), designed for stroke patients, effectively measures trunk impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD).
They included successive inpatient cases of PD with executed correlation analysis to establish the association between TIS assessment and various factors like balance functions, lower extremity muscle strength, and walking ability. Factor analysis was implemented to observe the differences in background factors of TIS compared to balance function, lower limb muscle strength, and walking ability.
The results showed correlations between TIS and various assessments in 471 Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients: Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (r=0.67), Barthel Index (r=0.57), general lower limb extension torque (r=0.51), two-minute walk test (r=0.54), Hoehn and Yahr stage (r=-0.61), and Movement Disorder Society Unified PD Rating Scale part III total points (r=-0.59). The factor analysis indicated TIS items were categorized into three factors: an abdominal muscles and righting reflex component, a perception and verticality component, and a rotational component. This differentiation sets it apart from other scales with clinical assessment items.
Investigators concluded that TIS was a promising tool for understanding trunk dysfunction and its contributions to daily life, gait, and balance in patients with PD.
Source: frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1303215/full
