Trunk Control Test

Stroke: (Collin & Wade, 1990; n = 12 female and n = 24 male patients; age range of male patients = 15-77 years; age range of women = 45-69 years; tested 6, 12 and 18 weeks post stroke)

• At 18 weeks, scores of 50 or more were associated with recovery of walking
• Patients scoring under 40 were non-ambulatory

Chronic Stroke: (Verheyden et al., 2006; n = 51,16 females, 35 males, mean age = 65 (11) years, range 39-84 years; median days post stroke = 129 days; 29 patients walked without assistance, 22 patients could not walk without assistance or were non-ambulatory)

• The median score on TCT was 61 points (61%)
• Subjects unable to walk without physical assistance had a median score on the TCT of 43 points (24-49)
• Subjects who were able to walk without physical assistance had a median score on the TCT of 61 points (61-100)

Stroke: (Collin & Wade, 1990) 

• Excellent interrater reliability (r = 0.76, p < 0.001)

Stroke: (Franchignoni et al.,1997; n = 49, mean age = 68 (13) years; average interval from onset of stroke to admission to rehab was 46 days (median, 40; range 31-78 days)) 

• Cronbach’s index suggests that the items of the TCT describe a homogeneous variable: the values for the TCT at admission and at discharge were alpha = 0.86 and alpha = 0.83, respectively.

Predictive Validity:

Stroke: (Duarte et al, 2002; n = 28, mean time after stroke onset= 15.3 (6) days; mean initial disability measured with the FIM and motFIM was 84 (22.4) and 52.7 (19.2); mean TCT= 76.4 (24))

• The better the initial trunk control patients have, the longer walking distance and the faster speed they achieve at hospital discharge.
  • TCT showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.003) between patients whose walking distance at discharge was longer than 50 m (mean TCT 88.9 (SD 14.3)) and patients whose walking distance was shorter than 50 m (mean TCT 61.9(25.2)).
  • Excellent correlations were also statistically significant between the TCT and the time required to walk a 10 m straight walkway at a comfortable (r = -0.644) and at maximal (r = -0.654) safe pace: the better initial TCT was, the higher gait velocities at discharge were.
• Excellent inverse correlation between TCT and length of stay: hemiparetic patients with worse trunk control at admission stay longer in a rehabilitation ward. (r = -0.722).
• Excellent correlation between admission TCT scores and FIM at discharge. Total FIM r = 0.738, motFIM =0.723.

Stroke: (Collin & Wade, 1990)

• Excellent construct validity between the TCT and the gross motor function subscale of the Rivermead Motor Assessment at 6, 12 and 18 weeks post stroke. (r = 0.70 to 0.79)

Chronic Stroke: (Verheyden et al., 2006)

• Twelve participants (24%) reached the maximum score of 100 points on the TCT.
• This indicates a ceiling effect on the TCT in non-acute and chronic stroke patients.

Stroke: (Franchignoni et al., 1997)

• 36 patients (72%) changed the overall TCT score at discharge
• The TCT test showed a good sensitivity to change

Elderly: (Farriols et al., 2009; n = 21 patients, mean age 78.5(6.7) years, who had developed walking disability after prolonged bed rest for an acute condition)

• Contrary to earlier studies involving younger individuals with stroke, this study failed to show a good correlation between TCT and ability to walk in elderly patients after prolonged bed rest for an acute illness.

Acquired Brain Injury: (Montecchi et al, 2013; n = 59 patients, mean age 48.9 (14.01) years, who had developed ABI following stroke, head trauma or anoxia)

• Excellent correlation between TCT and TRS (Trunk Recovery Scale). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient r_s = 0.943; 95% CI: 0.904 – 0.967)