HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Litvan, I. Articles by Bartko, J. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Litvan, I. Articles by Bartko, J. J.

Reliability of the NINDS Myotatic Reflex Scale

From the Neuroepidemiology Branch, NINDS, NIH (Dr. Litvan and W. Werden); the Division of Neurology, Hospital Ramos Mejia, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Drs. Mangone, Bueri, Garcea, Rey, and Sica), the Neurology Section, Instituto Cardiovascular de Buenos Aires (Dr. Estol), the Medical Neurology Branch, NINDS, NIH (Dr. Hallett), and the National Institute of Mental Health, NIH (Dr. Bartko).
Received November 1, 1995. Accepted in final form January 15, 1996.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Irene Litvan, Federal Building, Room 714, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814-3559.

The assessment of deep tendon reflexes is useful for localization and diagnosis of neurologic disorders, but only a few studies have evaluated their reliability.We assessed the reliability of four neurologists, instructed in two different countries, in using the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Myotatic Reflex Scale. To evaluate the role of training in using the scale, the neurologists randomly and blindly evaluated a total of 80 patients, 40 before and 40 after a training session. Inter- and intraobserver reliability were measured with kappa statistics. Our results showed substantial to near-perfect intraobserver reliability, and moderate-to-substantial interobserver reliability of the NINDS Myotatic Reflex Scale. The reproducibility was better for reflexes in the lower than in the upper extremities. Neither educational background nor the training session influenced the reliability of our results. The NINDS Myotatic Reflex Scale has sufficient reliability to be adopted as a universal scale.

NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 969-972

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. J. Mottram, N. L. Suresh, C. J. Heckman, M. A. Gorassini, and W. Z. Rymer Origins of Abnormal Excitability in Biceps Brachii Motoneurons of Spastic-Paretic Stroke Survivors J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2009; 102(4): 2026 - 2038. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J P R Dick The deep tendon and the abdominal reflexes J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, February 1, 2003; 74(2): 150 - 153. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Furuya, K. Sano, H. Segawa, K. Ide, and H. Yoneyama Symptomatic tonsillar ectopia J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, February 1, 1998; 64(2): 221 - 226. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Manschot, L van Passel, E Buskens, A Algra, and J van Gijn Mayo and NINDS scales for assessment of tendon reflexes: between observer agreement and implications for communication J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, February 1, 1998; 64(2): 253 - 255. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]