Internal consistency and validity of the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test in an Italian population with hemiparesis

PURPOSE:The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency and validity of the Italian version of the Jebsen– Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT-IT) in Italian post-stroke adults with chronic hemiplegia or hemiparesis. METHODS:The test’s internal consistency and validity were assessed by following international guidelines. Its internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s alpha (α) coefficient. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated for concurrent validity in comparison with a dynamometer instrument, whereas for construct validity, it was calculated in comparison with the mean execution time of the Wolf Motor Function Test time subscale (WMFT-IT-TIME). RESULTS:The test was administrated to 48 people with chronic stroke. Cronbach’s alpha reported a value of 0.96 for the dominant hand and 0.92 for the non-dominant hand. To define the validity of the scale, Pearson’s correlation as measured using the WMFT-IT-TIME, and the dynamometer showed statistically significant results. CONCLUSIONS:The present study supports the use of the JTHFT-IT as a measure of hand functionality in post-stroke adults with chronic hemiplegia or hemiparesis. It is an important tool for Italian professionals, and it can be useful both in clinical practice to evaluate improvement after rehabilitation treatments and for research in hand rehabilitation.