Table 1.
Ten most frequently used measures in stroke arm rehabilitation trials.
| Rank | Research measure | Number of uses across 243 trials (%) | Number of times original measure was modified* (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity section | 79 (33) | 12/79 (15) |
| Second | Action Research Arm Test | 56 (23) | 1/56 (2) |
| Third | Modified Ashworth Scale | 53 (22) | 0/53 |
| Fourth | Motor Activity Log | 43(18) | 7/43 (16) |
| Fifth | Functional Independence Measure | 35 (14) | 11/35 (31) |
| Sixth | Goniometer to assess range of movement | 32 (13) | 4/32 (13) |
| Seventh | Wolf Motor Function test | 29 (12) | 5/29 (17) |
| Eighth= | Barthel Index | 28 (11.5) | 1/28 (4) |
| Eighth= | Dynamometry to assess strength | 28 (11.5) | 0/28 |
| Tenth | Visual Analogue Scale for pain | 24 (10) | 5/24 (21) |
Note: = denotes measure ranked as having equal frequency of use, as another measure *modifications are defined as researcher amending original measure by, for example, excluding or changing items in the measure. Formal published modified measures (e.g. modified Ashworth Scale) are described separately.