Validity and Responsiveness of the Revised Nottingham Sensation Assessment for Outcome Evaluation in Stroke Rehabilitation

Abstract OBJECTIVE. This study establishes the concurrent validity, predictive validity, and responsiveness of the Revised Nottingham Sensation Assessment (rNSA) during rehabilitation for people with stroke. METHOD. The study recruited 147 patients with stroke. The main assessment used was the rNSA, and outcome measures were the Fugl-Meyer Assessment sensory subscale (FMA–S) and motor subscale (FMA–M) and the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living (NEADL) scale. RESULTS. Correlation coefficients were good to excellent between the rNSA and the FMA–S. The rNSA proprioception measure was a predictor for the FMA–S. The rNSA stereognosis and tactile-pinprick measures for the proximal upper limb were predictors for the FMA–M and the NEADL scale, respectively. Responsiveness was moderate to large for three subscales of the rNSA (standardized response mean = .51–.83). CONCLUSION. This study may support the concurrent validity, predictive validity, and responsiveness of the rNSA for people with stroke.