The Rivermead Assessment of Somatosensory Performance (RASP): standardization and reliability data

Objective: To develop a standardized, clinically relevant, quantitative assessment of somatosensory performance in patients with stroke. Design: Prospective observational study and test evaluation. Setting: Local Oxford hospitals and a regional neurological rehabilitation centre. Subjects: Stroke patients with a first, lateralized acute stroke in hospital, and age-matched control subjects, Method: Each patient was assessed in a structured way using a new battery of formal tests of somatosensory performance. Results: A total of 100 patients and 50 controls were fully investigated. Control subjects performed at or near ceiling on all tests, but patients showed impaired performance on all tests. The Rivermead Assessment of Somatosensory Performance (RASP) showed good intra-rater and inter-rater reliability for all subtests. There were however only weak relationships between scores of sensory impairment and scores of motor impairment or mobility and dependence. Conclusions: The RASP provides a practical and reliable assessment of sensory loss, which provides the clinician with a comprehensive picture of the patient's performance and can be used to inform and monitor rehabilitation and recovery.