Reliability of maximal voluntary isometric contraction testing in a multicenter study of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Rebecca J. Hoagland, Michelle Mendoza, Carmel Armon, Richard J. Barohn, Wilson W. Bryan, Jessie C. Goodpasture, Robert G. Miller, Gareth J. Parry, Jack H. Petajan, Mark A. Ross

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) is becoming widely used for monitoring disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We evaluated the variability of MVIC in a large multicenter (29 sites) drug trial in ALS. Intra- and interrater variability were assessed twice during the 19-month study. Intrarater reliability increased from the first to the second test, approaching the reliability reported for a single experienced clinical evaluator, but interrater reliability did not. Multiple clinical evaluators in a single site increased the variability of MVIC measurements. Rigorous quality assurance standards and monitoring of clinical evaluators should be incorporated into the design of multicenter studies using MVIC, since low variability is necessary to detect a modest treatment effect.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)691-695
Number of pages5
JournalMuscle and Nerve
Volume20
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997

Keywords

  • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • clinical trials
  • maximum voluntary isometric contraction
  • reliability
  • variability

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