Feasibility, reproducibility and validity of the 10 meter Shuttle Test in mild to moderately impaired people with stroke

Background There currently is no field test available for measuring maximal exercise capacity in people with stroke. Objective To determine the feasibility, reproducibility and validity of the Shuttle Test (ST) to measure exercise capacity in people with stroke. Design Longitudinal study design. Setting Rehabilitation department, day care centres from a nursing home and private practices specialized in neuro rehabilitation. Subjects People with subacute or chronic stroke. Interventions A standardized protocol was used to determine feasibility, reproducibility and validity of the 10-meter Shuttle Test (10mST). Main measures Number of shuttles completed, 1^stVentilatory Threshold (1^stVT). Results The associations of the number of shuttles completed and cardiopulmonary capacity as measured with a portable gas analyser were r > 0.7, confirming good convergent validity in subacute and chronic people with stroke. Criterion validity, however, indicates it is not a valid test for measuring maximal cardiopulmonary capacity (VO_2max). Only 60% of participants were able to reach the 1^stVT. Higher cardiopulmonary capacity and a higher total score of the lower extremity Motricity Index contributed significantly to a higher number of shuttles walked (p = 0.001). Conclusions The Shuttle Test may be a safe and useful exercise test for people after stroke, but may not be appropriate for use with people who walk slower than 2 km/h or 0.56 m/s.