Abstract
BackgroundThe 10-m walk test (10MWT) is a widely used measure of gait speed in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, it is unclear if different standardizations of its conduct impact test results.Aim of the studyWe examined the clinical significance of two aspects of the standardization of the 10MWT in mild PD: static vs. dynamic start, and a single vs. repeated trials. Implications for fall prediction were also explored.Methods151 people with PD (mean age and PD duration, 68 and 4 years, respectively) completed the 10MWT in comfortable gait speed with static and dynamic start (two trials each), and gait speed (m/s) was recorded. Participants then registered all prospective falls for 6 months.ResultsAbsolute mean differences between outcomes from the various test conditions ranged between 0.016 and 0.040 m/s (effect sizes, 0.06–0.14) with high levels of agreement (intra-class correlation coefficients, 0.932–0.987) and small standard errors of measurement (0.032–0.076 m/s). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed similar discriminate abilities for prediction of future falls across conditions (areas under curves, 0.70–0.73). Cut-off points were estimated at 1.1–1.2 m/s.ConclusionsDifferent 10MWT standardizations yield very similar results, suggesting that there is no practical need for an acceleration distance or repeated trials when conducting this test in mild PD.
Highlights
The 10-m walk test (10MWT) is widely used and recommended as a measure of gait speed in Parkinson’s disease (PD)
4 Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden 5 The PRO‐CARE Group, School of Health and Society, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden suggested as an important predictor of future falls in PD [2,3,4,5]
The clinical significance of any differences in outcome is not primarily related to the statistical significance resulting from null hypothesis testing and similar procedures
Summary
The 10-m walk test (10MWT) is widely used and recommended as a measure of gait speed in Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is unclear to what extent different 10MWT standardizations impact test outcomes and interpretations In this respect, the clinical significance of any differences in outcome is not primarily related to the statistical significance resulting from null hypothesis testing and similar procedures (where, e.g., sample size is a major determinant). The clinical significance of any differences in outcome is not primarily related to the statistical significance resulting from null hypothesis testing and similar procedures (where, e.g., sample size is a major determinant) Instead, aspects such as effect sizes, absolute differences relative to estimated errors of measurement, and decision-making implications are more relevant to consider [10]. The 10-m walk test (10MWT) is a widely used measure of gait speed in Parkinson’s disease (PD) It is unclear if different standardizations of its conduct impact test results. Conclusions Different 10MWT standardizations yield very similar results, suggesting that there is no practical need for an acceleration distance or repeated trials when conducting this test in mild PD
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