Motor function measure scale: Portuguese version and reliability analysis

• Published in: Revista brasileira de fisioterapia (São Carlos (São Paulo, Brazil)) Brazil)), 2008-10, Vol.12 (5), p.417-424
• Main Authors: Iwabe, C, Miranda-Pfeilsticker, B H, Nucci, A
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• ISSN: 1413-3555
• DOI: 10.1590/s1413-35552008000500012

Background: Functional evaluation instruments for patients with neuromuscular disorders are rare. The Motor Function Measure (MFM) scale is available in the original French and in English and Spanish translations. Objective: To make a Portuguese translation of the MFM and to identify its intra and inter-examiner reliability. Methods: Two translations of the 2004 MFM were produced separately by neurologists who were proficient in French. This procedure resulted in a consensual text after evaluation by the authors. The MFM in Portuguese was applied to 58 patients aged six to 61 years, with clinical and laboratory diagnoses of various types of muscular dystrophy and congenital myopathy that were documented on video. The first author performed the test and retest and another three physical therapists analyzed the same videos to assess the inter-examiner reliability. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kendall, kappa and Pearson coefficients. Results: The scale is presented with its 32 items and three dimensions. The Kendall concordance coefficients for inter-examiner analysis and the kappa and Pearson coefficients for the test-retest comparison were statistically significant (p-value