QFM - reliability in children with hyperkinetic movement disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Quality Function Measure (QFM): a study evaluating rater reliability and agreement in ambulant children with hyperkinetic movement disorders
IRAS ID
147886
Contact name
Jonathan Marsden
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
School of Health Professions, Plymouth University
Research summary
Hyperkinetic movement disorders (HMD) are associated with excessive involuntary movements and are frequently seen in children with neurological conditions of varying cause and age of onset. These children typically have problems with both motor function and impaired quality of movement and interventions therefore aim to address both of these aspects. Improvement in movement quality (e.g. speed, coordination, stability) of gross motor skills may enhance function and safety, reduce effort, and may also indirectly enhance upper limb function. It is possible that certain quality attributes may change following an intervention while others may not. However, clinical measures of gross motor function largely do not evaluate qualitative aspects of motor performance and may therefore be insensitive to important changes in these areas.
The Quality Function Measure (QFM) is a new observational clinical measure that may provide an opportunity to evaluate qualitative aspects of gross motor performance in children with HMD. The QFM was designed for, and has demonstrated excellent reliability in, walking children with predominantly spastic (stiff muscle tone) cerebral palsy (CP). However, the movement difficulties seen in HMD may be different from those seen in spastic CP and the reliability of the QFM in conditions other than CP has not yet been demonstrated.
Before a measurement tool is used in populations different to those for whom it was developed, it is it is necessary to re-examine reliability parameters to determine whether measurement error is acceptable for practical use. Reliability is a measure of the degree of consistency in test scores when a measurement procedure is replicated.
This study aims to establish rater reliability and time taken to score when the QFM is used in ambulant children with HMD. This information will inform judgements about the acceptability of this new measure for evaluation of intervention outcomes at both individual and group level.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/0182
Date of REC Opinion
2 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion