The Berlin Bimanual Test for Tetraplegia (BeBiTT): development, psychometric properties, and sensitivity to change in assistive hand exoskeleton application

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-023-01137-4 · Published: January 10, 2023

Spinal Cord Injury Assistive Technology Neurorehabilitation

Simple Explanation

The study introduces a new clinical test, the Berlin Bimanual Test for Tetraplegia (BeBiTT), designed to assess bimanual hand function in individuals with tetraplegia, especially when using assistive devices like hand exoskeletons. The BeBiTT evaluates various aspects of bimanual function, including grasping, manipulating, and lifting, and it considers different types of daily living activities to provide a comprehensive assessment. The test's reliability and validity were confirmed through testing on individuals with tetraplegia, and its sensitivity to detect improvements when using a brain-controlled hand exoskeleton was also demonstrated.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

14 individuals with tetraplegia

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
The BeBiTT demonstrated excellent interrater reliability and internal consistency, indicating that it can reliably assess bimanual task performance.
2
Strong correlations between BeBiTT scores and other established measures (SCIM III and QIF) provided evidence for the test's construct validity.
3
Participants showed significant improvement in BeBiTT scores when using a brain/neural hand exoskeleton, demonstrating the test's sensitivity to intervention-related differences.

Research Summary

This study introduces and validates the Berlin Bimanual Test for Tetraplegia (BeBiTT), a new clinical assessment tool designed to evaluate bimanual task performance in individuals with tetraplegia. The BeBiTT was shown to have excellent interrater reliability and internal consistency, as well as strong construct validity when compared to existing measures of independence and function. The study also demonstrated the BeBiTT's sensitivity to change by showing significant improvements in scores when participants used a brain/neural hand exoskeleton, suggesting its utility in assessing the impact of assistive devices.

Practical Implications

Clinical Assessment

The BeBiTT offers clinicians a reliable and valid tool for evaluating bimanual hand function in patients with tetraplegia.

Assistive Technology Evaluation

The BeBiTT can be used to assess the impact of assistive devices, such as hand exoskeletons, on bimanual task performance.

Rehabilitation Outcome Measurement

The BeBiTT can be incorporated into rehabilitation programs to monitor individual therapeutic success and compare different training approaches.

Study Limitations

1
The representation of some ADL categories in the BeBiTT could be improved by including more items, though this would increase test administration time.
2
Findings must be further validated across larger clinical studies to foster broad clinical acceptance.
3
There was no control for confounding variables such as sequence effects or fatigue.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury