Cross-cultural adaptation and validation in the Italian population of the wolf motor function test in patients with stroke

Motor impairments of the upper extremities affect approximately 60% of stroke patients. Rehabilitation is extremely important and can make it possible to identify which manual function is causing difficulty for the patient and hindering daily activities. The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) was recently highly recommended as one of several outcome measures that assess limitations of activities with a high level of psychometrics and clinical utility. The objective of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the WMFT for the Italian population (WMFT-IT) and examine its reliability and validity in Italian post-stroke adults with chronic hemiplegia or hemiparesis. The original scale was translated into Italian and culturally adapted in accordance with international guidelines. Its internal consistency and stability were examined using the Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. Its concurrent validity was evaluated using the Pearson's correlation coefficient to compare the instrument with the Italian version of the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand outcome measure. All WMFT-IT items were either identical or similar in meaning to the items in the original version. The WMFT-IT was administered to 24 subjects. Cronbach's α was 0.91 and 0.98 for the time and performance subscales respectively, and the ICC for test-retest reliability was 0.99. Pearson's correlation coefficients of the time subscale and the performance subscale both showed significant positive correlations (p <0.01). The WMFT-IT was found to be reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing function and quality of movement of the upper extremities in post-stroke adults in the Italian population.