Validity and reliability of the VOAA-DDD to assess spontaneous hand use with a video observation tool in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy.
Publication year
2009Source
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 10, (2009), pp. 145ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

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Organization
Rehabilitation
Paediatrics - OUD tm 2017
Journal title
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Volume
vol. 10
Page start
p. 145
Page end
p. 145
Subject
DCN 1: Perception and Action; NCEBP 10: Human Movement & FatigueAbstract
BACKGROUND: In 2003 new computer software, the VOAA (Video Observations Aarts and Aarts), was designed to score and evaluate two important aspects of spontaneous upper limb use, i.e. overall duration and frequency of specific behaviours. The aim of this study was to investigate the test-retest, interrater and intrarater reliability and the construct validity of a new module, the VOAA-DDD, to determine developmental disregard in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: A test-retest design with three raters for reliability and a two-group design for construct validity were used. Subjects were a total of 20 children with spastic unilateral CP equally divided in two age groups (2.5-5 and 5-8 years), and 56 healthy children of the same age groups. Overall duration and frequency of specific behaviours of the affected arm and hand were assessed during a task demanding ('stringing beads') and a task stimulating ('decorating a muffin') the use of both hands. Reliability was estimated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Construct validity was assessed by comparing children with CP to healthy children. RESULTS: All ICCs exceeded 0.87. In contrast with healthy children, children with CP used their affected hand less during the 'muffin' task compared to the 'beads' task. Of the children with CP, 90% in the age group of 2.5-5 years and 50% in the age group of 5-8 years showed values exceeding the extreme values of healthy controls, respectively, indicating developmental disregard. CONCLUSION: The VOAA-DDD is a reliable and valid instrument to assess spontaneous use of the affected arm and hand in order to determine developmental disregard in children with spastic unilateral CP.
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- Academic publications [227437]
- Electronic publications [107154]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [86157]
- Open Access publications [76295]
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