A Sensorimotor Integation Test Battery for CVA Clients: Preliminary Evidence of Reliability and Validity

Abstract

A newly developed Sensorimotor Integration Test Battery (SMITE) for assessing sensorimotor integration deficits in cerebral vascular accident (CVA) clients consists of 16 scales adapted from Ranka and Chapparo. Alpha reliabilities obtained from 84 CVA clients ranged from fair (.45) to strong (.95) but averaged .82 for all tests combined. The scales were further examined under four definitions of validity: discriminant validity, construct (factorial) validity, clinical validity, and robustness against biases due to sex or age. The Hooper Test of Visual Organization, Finger Maze, and Finger Identification Tests discriminated among locations of various cerebral vascular insults; clinical validity measures were strongest for the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Visual Attention Test, Motor Accuracy, and Imitation of Non-Habitual Postures. The test results showed little bias in terms of clients' sex or age. Four major factors were identified among the battery's individual tests: Sensorimotor Integration, Visual Processing, Tactile Discrimination, and a diagnosis factor that includes the three standardized tests of visual/spatial organization. The SMITB clearly extracts more information during its 90-minute administration setting than clinicians and therapists currently use.

Keywords

CVA testing neurological measurement stroke assessment

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