600 Section - Psychometric Evaluation of Motor Evaluation Scale for Upper Extremity in Stroke Patients (MESUPES)

The MESUPES is a comprehensive tool designed to assess quality of active and passive movement of arm and hand function after stroke. However, its psychometric properties have not been fully investigated. The objectives of this study were to: (i) determine the test–retest and inter-rater reliability of the MESUPES, (ii) examine the presence of ceiling and floor effects, (iii) compare the performance of MESUPES between healthy older adults and people with stroke, (iv) investigate the correlations between MESUPES scores and stroke-related outcome measures.

Design:

This cross-sectional study included 64 people with stroke and 31 healthy older adults. Participants with stroke completed MESUPES twice on Day 1 and day 2 with 7 days apart. They also completed Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), muscle strength and stiffness tests, wrist range of motion (ROM), the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick DASH), and Oxford Participation and Activities Questionnaire (OxPAQ). Healthy older adults completed MESUPES only.

Results:

The MESUPES demonstrated excellent inter-rater (ICC_3,2 = 0.953–0.995) and test–retest reliability (ICC_2,1 = 0.852–0.989), with evidence of a ceiling effect but no floor effect. Healthy older adults achieved significantly higher MESUPES arm, hand, and total scores than individuals with stroke (p < 0.001), indicating that the MESUPES effectively distinguishes motor performance between stroke and non-stroke populations. MESUPES scores correlated strongly with the FMA-UE, ARAT, affected elbow strength, affected wrist ROM, handgrip strength, and the QuickDASH (r = −0.520 to 0.922).

Conclusion:

The MESUPES is a reliable and valid tool for assessing upper-limb function in people with stroke, showing strong associations with established stroke-related clinical measures.