Abstract
Assessment of tactile gnosis is an important part in the evaluation of outcome after nerve injuries. The STI-test™ (Shape/Texture Identification test) is a recently introduced instrument for assessment of tactile gnosis. The test is performed according to a standardised procedure and is based on active touch, in contrast to the commonly used two-point discrimination (2PD) test. The content and construct validity and intra-tester reliability of the STI-test™, as well as sensitivity to changes over time, have been demonstrated in earlier studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-tester reliability. A total of 91 patients with a median age of 32 years (range 10-79 years) with severe nerve injuries were included. Repeated assessments were performed and analysed using weighted kappa statistics to calculate the chance-corrected agreement between test results. Good inter-tester reliability was demonstrated with a kappa value of 0.66 (95% C.I. 0.59 to 0.73), and there was a good distribution of the data along the scoring scale. The minimal detectable change (MDC) for the STI-test™ is also discussed and it is concluded that the STI-test™ is a good choice for evaluative purposes when assessing tactile gnosis in patients with severe nerve injuries.
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