A Standardized Approach to Performing the Action Research Arm Test
By Yozbatiran, Nuray, PT, PhD; Der-Yeghiaian, Lucy, MA, OTR/L; Cramer, Steven C., MD; Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 78-90Publication Date: January/February 2008
Article includes a manual that provides a detailed, standardized approach to scoring the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and reports the reliability and validity of the suggested method. The ARAT evaluates 19 tests of arm motor function. Each test is given an ordinal score of 0, 1, 2, or 3, with higher values indicating better arm motor status. The total ARAT score is the sum of the 19 tests, and thus the maximum score is 57. Twelve patients with stroke were examined using the ARAT. To evaluate interrater reliability, 2 different therapists scored the ARAT during the same session in the 9 patients available for the assessment. For intrarater reliability, the same therapist repeated the ARAT within 1 week for each of the 8 patients available for this assessment. The validity of the ARAT method was assessed by having a single therapist compare the ARAT score with the arm motor score of the Fugl-Meyer scale in 12 patients. Results showed that reliability and validity were excellent with the standardized method of administration and scoring the ARAT.
Published by: Sage Publications (Website:http://www.sagepub.com)
American Society of Neurorehabilitation (Web Site: http://www.asnr.com )
