Reliability and concurrent validity of the “Awareness of Functional Tasks with Arm and Hand in Stroke” (AFAS) scale

Friday, October 23, 2020

3:30 PM – 3:47 PM EST

Presenting Author(s)

Ann Van de Winckel, PhD, MSPT, PT

Assistant Professor
Division of Physical Therapy, Division of Rehabilitation Science, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical School, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Presentation Slides

Non-presenting Author(s)

DD

Daniele De Patre, BS, DPT

Physical therapist
Villa Miari, Centro Studi di Riabilitazione Neurocognitiva
Santorso, Veneto
MR

Marco Rigoni, MS, DPT

physical therapist
Villa Miari, Centro Studi di Riabilitazione Neurocognitiva
Santorso, Veneto
CR

Carla Rizzello, MS, DPT

Scientific Director
Villa Miari, Centro Studi Riabilitazione Neurocognitiva
Santorso, Veneto
MZ

Marina Zernitz, DPT

Director of the Journal Riabiltazione Neurocognitiva
Villa Miari, Centro Studi Riabilitazione Neurocognitiva
Santorso, Veneto

About 70% of people post-stroke have upper extremity impairments and 81% have mental body representations deficits (MBRs), such as body awareness. Current rehabilitation scales look at either quality of movement post-stroke or body awareness in other populations. Schwoebel and Coslett (2005) used scales to evaluate types of MBR deficits in stroke, but the link between those MBR deficits and motor function is not clear. To fill this gap, we developed a new body awareness scale for adults with stroke, “Awareness of Functional Tasks with Arm and Hand in Stroke” (AFAS) scale for stroke, that assesses both quality of movement (AFAS-M) and body awareness (AFAS-A). While most scales measure either quality of movement or body awareness deficits, the uniqueness of our newly designed scale (AFAS) is that the tester grades both the body awareness and the actual quality of movement performance of the affected arm and hand at the same time. We will report on the reliability, concurrent validity, and an exploratory Rasch analysis in 41 adults with chronic stroke.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to explain understand the relationship between body awareness deficits and motor deficits in stroke.
Upon completion participants will be able to use the AFAS scale for use in the clinic or research.
Upon completion participants will be able to differentiate the construct of AFAS compared to other body awareness scales designed for other populations.