Adaptação e validação da escala de equilíbrio avançado de Fullerton para crianças e adolescentes com paralisia cerebral

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral palsy can cause balance changes, so it is of great relevance an adequate evaluation of this activity in these individuals. Objective: To adapt and validate the Brazilian version of the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale in children and adolescents with CP. Method: This is a methodological study on validation of a clinical instrument and followed the recommendations of the COSMIN. Inter-examiner and intra-examiner / test-retest reliability were analyzed by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) coefficient. Concurrent and discriminant validity was measured by Pearson correlation coefficient, significance level p < 0.05, and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Six individuals with Cerebral Palsy, with average age of 9,67 (±5,65) years, participated in this study. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) coefficient was considered excellent and a significant agreement (p<0.0001) was observed for both intra-examiner (test-retest) and inter-examiner reliability, with ICC = 0.981 for inter-examiner reliability, ICC. = 0.985 for test-retest of evaluator 1 and 2. The concurrent validity was strong / excellent (r= 0.835) and with significance p<0.05. The discriminant validation between target and upper limb score assessed with the Box and Blocks Test, as expected, had low correlation (r = -0.471) and was not significant (p> 0.05 or p = 0.346). Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability, proving that the EEAF was adapted for children and adolescents with CP. The EEAF pediatric version is an ideal instrument to be used to assess balance in both research and follow-up of the clinical evolution of CP children and adolescents who have community gait e balance dysfunction.