Sènadé Ines N1,2, Emmanuel S. S1,3, Charlène K1, Didier D. N-N1,3, Jean O1,3, Toussaint G. K1,3, Charles S. B4,5
1University of Abomey-Calavi, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cotonou, Benin, 2St Martin Hospital of Papane, Physiotherapy Service, Tchaourou, Benin, 3National Hospital and University Center Hubert Koutoukou MAGA (CNHU-HKM), University Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cotonou, Benin, 4Laval University, Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS), Quebec, Canada, 5Laval University, Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Quebec, Canada
Background: Recovery of walking ability is a major goal for stroke patients, their relatives and clinicians during rehabilitation. There is, then, a great need for therapists and patients to efficiently monitor gait recovery for treatments adjustment and clinical decision making. We calibrated the Benin (West-Africa) version of the European ABILOCO, a Rasch-built questionnaire for locomotion abilities assessment in post-stroke patients (ABILOCO-Benin). The validity and reliability of ABILOCO-Benin questionnaire were investigated along with the questionnaire development. However, its sensitivity to change has not been investigated.
Purpose: To investigate the ability of ABILOCO-Beninquestionnaire to track change of locomotion abilities in daily life in post-stroke patients.
Methods: This longitudinal study included 23 patients (mean age (SD) = 53 (8.51) years; 26% women, mean time since stroke(SD) = 29.7 (43.66) months) undergoing rehabilitation in the rehabilitation department of the National Teaching Hospital (Cotonou, Benin). Patients were assessed at baseline and at 2 to 3 months of follow-up with ABILOCO-Benin, the locomotion-related items of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM-Loco) and the 6 minutes walking test (6MWT). We used three approaches: global, group (2 groups: time since stroke ≤ 6 months and more than 6 months) and individual (T-scores based on errors of measurement with ABILOCO-Benin scores), to investigate change in patients' locomotion abilities. Paired T-test or Wilcoxon rank test were used where appropriate. The magnitude of change was documented with the effect size (ES).
Results: None of the measures showed a significant change in patients' locomotion abilities in the global approach, except ABILOCO-Benin that showed tendency to significant change (ABILOCO-Benin p=0.065; FIM-Locop=0.79; 6MWT p= 0.13). Regarding group analysis, patients with time since stroke ≤ 6 months showed statistically and clinically significant change with ABILOCO-Benin (p= 0.02, ES=0.44) and the 6MWT (p=0.01, ES = 0.53); but not with FIM-Loco(p=0.88). Patients with time since stroke more than 6 months did not show any significant change with either measure during the follow-up period. The individual analysis categorized two patients as significantly deteriorated (t-score -1.96); one as stable (t-score = 0); thirteen as slightly improved (0 t-score≤1.96) and seven as significantly improved (t-score>1.96).
Conclusion(s): This preliminary results suggest that the questionnaire ABILOCO-Benin is sensitive to change in locomotion abilities in post-stroke patients.
Implications: ABILOCO-Benin can be used in research and clinical practice to track change in locomotion abilities in post-stroke patients in West-Africa.
Keywords: Responsiveness, ABILOCO-Benin, Stroke
Funding acknowledgements: Authors did not receive any funding for the study
Purpose: To investigate the ability of ABILOCO-Beninquestionnaire to track change of locomotion abilities in daily life in post-stroke patients.
Methods: This longitudinal study included 23 patients (mean age (SD) = 53 (8.51) years; 26% women, mean time since stroke(SD) = 29.7 (43.66) months) undergoing rehabilitation in the rehabilitation department of the National Teaching Hospital (Cotonou, Benin). Patients were assessed at baseline and at 2 to 3 months of follow-up with ABILOCO-Benin, the locomotion-related items of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM-Loco) and the 6 minutes walking test (6MWT). We used three approaches: global, group (2 groups: time since stroke ≤ 6 months and more than 6 months) and individual (T-scores based on errors of measurement with ABILOCO-Benin scores), to investigate change in patients' locomotion abilities. Paired T-test or Wilcoxon rank test were used where appropriate. The magnitude of change was documented with the effect size (ES).
Results: None of the measures showed a significant change in patients' locomotion abilities in the global approach, except ABILOCO-Benin that showed tendency to significant change (ABILOCO-Benin p=0.065; FIM-Locop=0.79; 6MWT p= 0.13). Regarding group analysis, patients with time since stroke ≤ 6 months showed statistically and clinically significant change with ABILOCO-Benin (p= 0.02, ES=0.44) and the 6MWT (p=0.01, ES = 0.53); but not with FIM-Loco(p=0.88). Patients with time since stroke more than 6 months did not show any significant change with either measure during the follow-up period. The individual analysis categorized two patients as significantly deteriorated (t-score -1.96); one as stable (t-score = 0); thirteen as slightly improved (0 t-score≤1.96) and seven as significantly improved (t-score>1.96).
Conclusion(s): This preliminary results suggest that the questionnaire ABILOCO-Benin is sensitive to change in locomotion abilities in post-stroke patients.
Implications: ABILOCO-Benin can be used in research and clinical practice to track change in locomotion abilities in post-stroke patients in West-Africa.
Keywords: Responsiveness, ABILOCO-Benin, Stroke
Funding acknowledgements: Authors did not receive any funding for the study
Topic: Outcome measurement
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: National Teaching Hospital Hubert Koutoukou Maga of Cotonou (Benin)
Ethics committee: Local ethic committee of rehabilitation department
Reason not required: Patients gave their free informed consent before inclusion in the study. The study involved patients assessment with tools that did not present any harm to participants (questionnaires and 6min walking test).
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
