Ann Rehabil Med.  2019 Oct;43(5):544-554. 10.5535/arm.2019.43.5.544.

Reliability and Validity of the Comprehensive Limb and Oral Apraxia Test: Standardization and Clinical Application in Korean Patients With Stroke

• Pyun SB
• Hwang YM
• Jo SY
• Ha JW

• KMID: 2463702
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2019.43.5.544

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To develop and standardize the Limb and Oral Apraxia Test (LOAT) for Korean patients and investigate its reliability, validity, and clinical usefulness for patients with stroke.
METHODS
We developed the LOAT according to a cognitive neuropsychological model of limb and oral praxis. The test included meaningless, intransitive, transitive, and oral praxis composed of 72 items (56 items on limb praxis and 16 items on oral praxis; maximum score 216). We standardized the LOAT in a nationwide sample of 324 healthy adults. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity tests were performed in patients with stroke. We prospectively applied the LOAT in 80 patients and analyzed the incidence of apraxia. We also compared the clinical characteristics between the apraxia and non-apraxia groups.
RESULTS
The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha=0.952). The inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and concurrent validity were also high (r=0.924-0.992, 0.961-0.999, and 0.830, respectively; p<0.001). The mean total, limb, and oral scores were not significantly different according to age and education (p>0.05). Among the 80 patients with stroke, 19 (23.8%) had limb apraxia and 21 (26.3%) had oral apraxia. Left hemispheric lesions and aphasia were significantly more frequently observed in the limb/oral apraxia group than in the non-apraxia group (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
The LOAT is a newly developed comprehensive test for limb and oral apraxia for Korean patients with stroke. It has high internal consistency, reliability, and validity and is a useful apraxia test for patients with stroke.

Keyword

Aphasia; Apraxia; Cerebral dominance; Psychometrics; Stroke

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aphasia
Apraxias*
Dominance, Cerebral
Education
Extremities*
Humans
Incidence
Prospective Studies
Psychometrics
Reproducibility of Results*
Stroke*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Components and number of items for each component in the Limb and Oral Apraxia Test (LOAT).

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