Introduction:

No simple scale, by design, is comprehensive enough to comprehensively evaluate the motor function of with stroke patients; however, it is possible to select a battery of them to control the different stages of the rehabilitation process. The objective of this study was to identify the criteria that serve as a reference for the construction of a functional evaluation instrument in stroke patients.

Materials and methods:

A bibliographic search was conducted in the PubMed, Rehabilitation Measures Database, ebsco and Medline databases, which included functional assessment scales aimed at controlling posture, gait, balance, muscle tone, upper and lower limbs and activities daily life.

Results:

For construction of a functional evaluation instrument, a total of thirteen reference criteria were identified grouped into: 1) psychometric criteria and 2) design and application criteria. Using these criteria the scales were selected: Barthel Index, Action Research Arm Test, Ashworth Scale, and 10 Meter Walk Test.

Conclusion:

The selected scales provide information on four relevant aspects for functional evaluation and therapeutic practice: self-care, motor function, muscle tone and physical performance, closely related to main work area during the rehabilitation process in stroke patients. The material resources necessary for its application are minimal and the estimated time, from the integration of its partial times, does not exceed 30 minutes.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )