The graded redefined assessment of strength sensibility and prehension version 2 (GV2): Psychometric properties

The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2019 · DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2019.1616950 · Published: January 1, 2019

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Research Methodology & Design

Simple Explanation

The GRASSP (Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility and Prehension) is a tool used to measure upper limb impairment after traumatic tetraplegia. A second version (GV2) was developed to shorten the test and improve clarity. This study checks if the new version is still a reliable and valid measure. The study found that GV2 maintains excellent psychometric properties, meaning it's a reliable and valid tool for assessing upper limb function in individuals with tetraplegia.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Chronic sample (n = 72) and acute longitudinal sample (n = 127) of individuals with traumatic tetraplegia

Evidence Level

Observational studies (cross-sectional and longitudinal)

Key Findings

1
Inter-rater and test-retest reliability for all subtests of GV2 ranged between 0.849–0.971 and 0.950–0.971 respectively, indicating excellent reliability.
2
Concurrent validity between domains of GV2 were positively and moderately (0.530–0.830, P < 0.0001) correlated to SCIM, SCIM self-care subscore (SS) and CUE-Q, demonstrating good concurrent validity.
3
Responsiveness values were .84-.88 for GR-Sens and .93–1.22 for GR-PP respectively, indicating that GV2 is responsive to change over time.

Research Summary

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of GRASSP Version 2 (GV2), an updated version of an upper extremity measure designed for individuals with traumatic tetraplegia. The results indicate that GV2 retains excellent reliability, validity, and responsiveness, similar to the original GRASSP Version 1 (GV1). The findings support the use of GV2 in clinical and research settings for assessing upper limb function in individuals with traumatic tetraplegia, with the advantage of reduced administration time.

Practical Implications

Clinical Practice

GV2 can be confidently used in clinical settings to assess upper limb function in patients with tetraplegia, with a shorter administration time compared to GV1.

Research

Researchers can use GV2 as a reliable and valid outcome measure in clinical trials and studies focusing on upper limb recovery after traumatic tetraplegia.

Tool Selection

Clinicians and researchers can choose between GV1 and GV2 based on their specific needs, with GV2 being suitable when a shorter assessment is desired and GV1 when detailed hand function is of primary interest.

Study Limitations

1
The study is a post-hoc analysis of existing datasets.
2
The responsiveness of the GR-PP subtest in GV2 was slightly reduced compared to GV1.
3
The study sample was limited to individuals with traumatic tetraplegia, and the findings may not be generalizable to other populations.

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