2023 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 24-34
Purpose: The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) is sometimes used to assess the balance of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) in individual patients. Keyform has, in recent years, been attracting attention to improve clinical interpretability. The purpose of this study was to develop keyform for each section of the BESTest in patients with SCA.
Methods: The BESTest was evaluated in 81 patients with SCA. After confirming unidimensionality and internal reliability, item fit and difficulty levels for each section of the BESTest were obtained using Rasch analysis, and the keyform was drawn up.
Results: Unidimensionality could not be confirmed for Sections I and II, and good internal reliability was obtained for all sections except Section V. In addition, the item fit of two items was not confirmed, and the difficulty level of each item was calculated using Rasch analysis. The keyform was developed after excluding, from the analysis, the two sections in which dimensionality could not be confirmed and the two items in which the degree of fit was poor.
Conclusion: This keyform, which was developed for SCA patients, will be a valuable tool for appropriate physical therapy goal setting and treatment planning for individual SCA patients because it enables visualization of the difficulty level of the balance task in the keyform.
