Validity and reliability of the Tardieu scale for assessing upper limb spasticity in adults with cerebrovascular disease. Systematic review

Abstract

The increase in the number of people with upper limb spasticity as a sequela of cerebrovascular disease, which negatively impacts their autonomy, functional independence and participation, and affects their quality of life, calls for the application of precise and objective instruments for its measurement and evaluation. To assess the validity and reliability of the Tardieu scale in the evaluation of upper extremity spasticity in adults with cerebrovascular disease. The search strategy was implemented in eight databases; the systematic review protocol was registered beforehand in INPLASY (with registration no. 2023110076). The evidence was synthesised in three phases: a tabular presentation of results, an evaluation of the quality of the articles, and a narrative synthesis of the findings. Only three of the 33 articles identified fulfilled the variables that enable the validity and reliability of the Tardieu scale to be established. The measurements of angles and velocities R1, R2 and R2-R1 were analysed. Student's t-test to assess the reliability between the measurements of R1 and R2; and angles R2 and R2-R1 showed statistical significance, which confirmed the reliability of the scale. The Tardieu scale proved robust. It is important to note that the sample size, the time of evolution of the disease and the age of the patients may influence the results of the scale.