Modified emory functional ambulation profile - An outcome measure for the rehabilitation of poststroke gait dysfunction

Background and Purpose-The modified Emery Functional Ambulation Profile (mEFAP) is an easily administered test that measures the time to ambulate through 5 common environmental terrains with or without an assistive device or manual assistance. The mEFAP was evaluated for its interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and sensitivity to change during outpatient rehabilitation for poststroke gait dysfunction. Methods-Twenty-six poststroke patients were followed up prospectively in a rehabilitation day-treatment program. The mEFAP, Berg Balance Test (BBT), and 7-item mobility subsection of the Functional Independence Measure + Functional Assessment Measure (FAMm) were completed at admission and discharge. Results-mEFAP interrater reliability (intraclass coefficient [ICC] 0.999) and test-retest reliability (ICC 0.998) were high. The BET demonstrated high interrater (ICC 0.992) but poor test-retest (ICC 0.605) reliability. Initial and final scores comparing the mEFAP with the BET (r= -0.735, r= -0.703) and the mEFAP with the FAMm (r=0.685, r=-0.775) were strongly correlated, Improvement on the mEFAP correlated with improved BET performance (r= -0.524). There was no correlation between overall change observed on the FAMm and change on the mEFAP (r= -0.145). Total mEFAP and all mEFAP subtask scores improved over time (P <0.0001). Conclusions-The mEFAP is a reliable gait-assessment tool for patients with stroke and is sensitive to change in ambulation speed.