Van Lieshout Test - Short Version

Tetraplegia: (Post et al., 2006; n = 12; mean age = 43.2(12.7) years; mean time since injury 13.0(11.2) years; AIS A, B, D)

• SEM = 0.13

Tetraplegia: (Post et al., 2006)

• MDC = 0.767

Tetraplegia: (Post et al., 2006) 

Left hand, mean (SD)

Right hand, mean (SD)

Forward reaching

3.4 (1.7)

3.5 (1.6)

Arch task

3.4 (1.9)

3.5 (1.9)

Thumb closure

2.9 (1.8)

3.1 (1.7)

Grip function thumb

2.3 (1.7)

2.2 (1.6)

Thumb strength

2.7 (1.5)

3.1 (1.3)

Finger closure

3.0 (1.8)

3.1 (1.8)

Finger strength

3.0 (1.9)

3.5 (1.7)

Pen gripa

1.6 (1.8)

3.1 (1.4)

Lighting a match

1.6 (1.9)

3.1 (1.8)

Opening a bottle

1.4 (1.8)

2.7 (1.4)

Mean total VLT score

2.6 (1.3)

3.1 (1.3)

Tetraplegia: (Berardi et al., 2018; n=61; Mean Age=47 (14.76); ASIA A (25), ASIA B (15), ASIA C (15), ASIA D (6); Italian sample).

• Excellent test-retest reliability (ICC=.90 for left hand, right hand, and total score).

Tetraplegia: (Post et al., 2006) 

• Excellent interrater reliability (ICC = 0.98 for right hand; ICC = 0.99 for left hand)
• Excellent interrater agreement of 9 out of 10 item scores (weighted kappa = 0.74-0.99)
• Adequate interrater agreement for 1 item score (weighted kappa = 0.47 for right, 0.48 for left for “writing” item score)

Tetraplegia: (Post et al., 2006, n = 55) 

• Excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α: 0.88 left hand; 0.94 right hand)

Tetraplegia: (Berardi et al., 2018)

• Excellent internal consistency (Chronbach’s α=.95, p<0.01 for both right and left hand).

Tetraplegia: (Post et al., 2006)

• Very good (r = 0.87 and 0.90) with probability of finding less than good criterion validity in the population (r < 0.60).

Concurrent Validity

Tetraplegia: (Berardi et al., 2018)

• Correlation with dynamometer was analyzed by item, ranging from r=0.42-0.66 on the right hand and r=0.29-0.64 on the left hand
• Item correlation with Jebsen Taylor Hand function test (JTHFT) ranged from r= -0.96 – -0.15 on the right hand and r=-0.79 – -0.138 on the left hand with many of the fine motor items showing high correlation with the fine motor items of the JTHFT

Convergent Validity

Tetraplegia: (Post et al., 2006; n = 55)

• Correlations between VLT-SV total score and ASIA Impairment Scale motor level and classification, International Classification for surgery of the hand in Tetraplegia (ICSoHT), Grasp and Release Test (GRT) and FIM scores for self-care and transfers (Spearman)

VLT-SV Total Score Correlations:

Left Hand

Right Hand

AIS motor level

0.58a

0.65a

AIS classification

0.35b

0.69a

ICSoHT

0.67a

0.85a

GRT

0.87

0.90

FIM – self-care

0.61a

0.69a

FIM – transfer

0.71a

0.72a

a = excellent convergent validity
b = adequate convergent validity

• Authors anticipated lower correlation for these tests compared to the GRT as they measure different ICF domains.

Tetraplegia: (Berardi et al., 2018)

• Adequate convergent validity between the VLT-SV-IT and the Level of Injury (r=0.51),
• Poor convergent validity between the VLT-SV-IT and the AIS (r=0.18),
• Poor convergent validity with the SCIMS III (r=0.07).

Tetraplegia: (Spooren et al., 2013)

• Floor effect (4%)
• Ceiling effect (11%)

Tetraplegia: (Spooren, 2006, n = 34, AIS A and B; n = 26, AIS C and D; Assessed at start of active rehabilitation and at discharge, mean = 288 days)

• Highly Responsive at detecting changes from start of active rehabilitation to discharge for Motor Complete (AIS A and B) and Motor Incomplete (AIS C and D) (SRM = 1.1)
• Moderately sensitive (effect size (ES) = 0 .71) 

Tetraplegia: (Spooren, 2006, n = 34, AIS A and B; n = 26 AIS C and D; assessed start of rehabilitation to 3 months, mean = 93 days)

• Highly responsive at detecting change from start of rehabilitation to 3 months for Motor Complete (AIS A and B) and Motor Incomplete (AIS C and D) (SRM = 0.95)
• Moderately Sensitive (ES = 0.54)