Polish Cultural Adaptation and Reliability of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Motor Performance and Sensory Assessment Scale in Stroke Patients

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Motor Performance and Sensory Assessment Scale (FMA) is the most commonly used and recommended outcome measure for the sensorimotor impairment of the upper and lower limbs in stroke patients. The aim of this study was to perform cross-cultural translation and adaptation of the scale into Polish and to evaluate the FMA’s reliability of motor performance and sensation of the upper and lower limb sections among ischemic stroke patients. Methods: The Polish version of the FMA (FMA-PL) was developed using a forward–backward translation performed by a group of experts and then evaluated by a panel of judges according to international guidelines. The study involved 86 patients (F = 30, M = 56, i.e., 35%; the average age of patients was 64 ± 12 years, 36 with right-sided stroke and 50 with left-sided stroke). The FMA-PL was carried out twice by two experienced neurological physiotherapists with a 2 h gap between assessments (test–retest and inter-rater). The reliability of the outcome measure was defined by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimum detectable change (MDC) were also calculated. The internal consistency of the test was determined by the Cronbach’s alpha indicator. Results: Three domains were evaluated on the FMA-PL scale. From the whole test, results were obtained in the range of 12–124 points: 64 points for FMA-UE-PL 2, 34 points for FMA-LE-PL 4, and 24 points for FMA-S-PL 0. The ICC values were in the range of 0.99–1.00 for the total FMA-PL score and the results of each domain. The SEM and MDC for the entire FMA-PL calculated for test–retest measurements were 0.22 and 1.60, respectively. The SEM and MDC for the total FMA-PL score obtained during repeated measurements of the same investigator were 1.3 and 3.5 points, respectively. The Cronbach’s alpha values calculated for the total FMA-PL, FMA-UE-PL, FMA-LE-PL, and FMA-S-PL items amounted to 0.938–0.939, 0.932–0.934, and 0.634–0.722, respectively. Conclusions: The Polish version of the FMA is a consistent and reliable outcome measure for the motor and sensory evaluation of the upper and lower limbs for patients in subacute and chronic stroke stages.