Validity and reliability of the 2-minute walk test in individuals with spinal cord injury

Spinal Cord, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-022-00847-1 · Published: August 23, 2022

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Biomechanics

Simple Explanation

The 6-minute walk test (6mWT) is commonly used to assess walking ability in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, it can be too demanding for some. The 2-minute walk test (2mWT) might be a good alternative. This study checks if the 2mWT is a reliable and valid way to measure walking function in individuals with SCI.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

50 individuals with SCI (neurological level of injury: C1-L3, AIS: A-D)

Evidence Level

Multicentre-observational study

Key Findings

1
The 2mWT is highly correlated with the 6mWT, indicating it measures similar aspects of walking function.
2
The 2mWT demonstrates excellent test-retest reliability, meaning it produces consistent results over repeated measurements.
3
Walking performance affects SEM and MDC values, suggesting these should be calculated separately for slow and fast walkers.

Research Summary

This study aimed to assess the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the 2mWT in individuals with SCI. The main ﬁndings of the present study are that in individuals with SCI (1) the walking distance assessed in the 2mWT and the 6mWT are highly correlated, (2) the 2mWT has an excellent test-retest reliability, (3) SEM and MDC are different for fast and slow walkers Based on these ﬁndings, the 2mWT can be suggested as a suitable alternative to the 6mWT in individuals with SCI comparable to the investigated group.

Practical Implications

Clinical Practice

The 2mWT can be used as an efficient and reliable alternative to the 6mWT to assess walking function in individuals with SCI.

Research

The study supports using the 2mWT in research settings for evaluating walking function in SCI, especially when time is a constraint.

Personalized Assessment

Clinicians should consider walking speed when interpreting 2mWT results, as slow and fast walkers exhibit different variability.

Study Limitations

1
The study excluded individuals with a walking distance <60 meters in 6 min, limiting generalizability to more severely impaired individuals.
2
The hallway length used was 35 meters instead of the 30 meters suggested in the Guidelines of the American Thoracic Society.
3
The study did not consider all aspects of responsiveness (e.g., internal responsiveness).

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