Measuring task performance after acquired brain injury: Construct and concurrent validity of ‘Upper Limb Performance Analysis’

Abstract

Objective: This preliminary investigation studies selected aspects of validity of the Upper Limb Performance Analysis (ULPA), an occupation-based functional upper limb (UL) measure.

Methods: The study investigated the ULPA–Task Performance Mastery (ULPA-TPM) in 35 community dwelling adults with upper motor neuron syndrome following acquired brain injury and 26 healthy controls. Construct and concurrent validity of the ULPA were determined via group discrimination between adults with and without ABI; and ABI participants who were and were not referred for UL spasticity management with botulinum toxin-A injections (injected and non-injected group). Concurrent validity was examined by investigating the relationships between the ULPA and an existing functional UL measure, the Action Research Arm Test, using Spearman’s rank-order correlation.

Results: Significant differences in UL performance were demonstrated between the ABI and the Control group on all ULPA sub-scales (including: Omission (z = −2.6 to −3.6, r_spb = 0.37–0.48), Accuracy (z = −5.8 to −6.0, r_spb = 0.78–0.82), Repetition (z = −5.1 to −5.4, r_spb = 0.63–0.73) and Timing errors (z = −5.9 to −6.2, r_spb = 0.77–0.88). Those in the Injected group demonstrated more task performance errors than the Non-injected group, with significant differences in Accuracy (z = −2.1 to −2.4, r_spb = 0.37–0.45), Repetition (z = −2.5 to −2.1, r_spb = 0.43) and Timing (z = −2.0, r_spb = 0.37).

Conclusions: This study demonstrated good construct and concurrent validity of the ULPA-TPM.

• Botulinum Toxin-A
• spasticity
• stroke adult
• traumatic brain injury
• upper limb

Declaration of interest

This paper is derived from data collected as part of an investigator initiated study supported by Ipsen Australia. H. Barden’s PhD candidature was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award, The Helga Pettitt Faculty of Health Sciences Postgraduate Study Award 2011 and The George Burniston Cumberland Foundation Fellowship 2011. Honoraria received from Ipsen and Allergan (Barden, Baguley and Nott). Advisory Board membership for Ipsen (Baguley, Nott and Barden) and Allergan (Baguley & Nott). No conflicts of interest (Chapparo and Heard).