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Functional%20Gait%20Assessment
Availability
Available in the public domain: Functional Gait Assessment
Classification
NeuroRehab Supplemental - Highly Recommended:
Recommendations for Use: Indicated for studies requiring a measure of motor function. Recommended for Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) studies.
 
Supplemental-Highly Recommended: Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) Persistent/Chronic (3 months and greater post concussion)
 
Supplemental: Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) Subacute (after 72 hours to 3 months)
 
Exploratory: Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)
Short Description of Instrument
The Functional Gait Assessment is used to evaluate postural stability during various walking exercises. It is a modification of the Dynamic Gait Index and was developed to improve reliability and decrease the ceiling effect.
 
Normal, fast, slow walking with vertical and horizontal turning of the head; backward walking; stair ascension/descension
 
Walking with eyes closed, walking over obstacles, tandem walking
 
Avoids ceiling effects of Berg Balance and Dynamic Gait Index
 
Cut Score 22/30 to classify falls risk.
Comments/Special Instructions
Requirements: A marked 6-m (20-ft) walkway that is marked with a 30.48-cm (12-in) width
 
It is a 10-item test and can be performed with or without an assistive device.
 
Time to administer: 5-10 minutes
 
Administration mode: paper/pen
Scoring
Each item is scored on a 4-level ordinal scale from 0 - 3, with lower scores indicating greater overall impariment:
 
0 = severe impairment
 
1 = moderate impairment
 
2 = mild impairment
 
3 = normal ambulation
References
Wrisley DM, Kumar NA. Functional gait assessment: concurrent, discriminative, and predictive validity in community-dwelling older adults. Phys Ther. 2010;90(5):761-773.
 
Wrisley DM, Marchetti GF, Kuharsky DK, Whitney SL. Reliability, internal consistency, and validity of data obtained with the functional gait assessment. Phys Ther. 2004;84:906-918.
 
Wrisley DM, Walker ML, Echternach JL, Strasnick B. Reliability of the dynamic  gait index in people with vestibular disorders. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003;84(10):1528-1533.
 
For test/retest reliability:
 
Lin JH, Hsu MJ, Hsu HW, Wu HC, Hsieh CL. Psychometric comparisons of 3 functional ambulation measures for patients with stroke. Stroke. 2010;41(9):2021-2025.
 
For intra-and inter-rater reliability and validity:
 
Thieme H, Ritschel C, Zange C. Reliability and validity of the functional gait assessment (German version) in subacute stroke patients. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009;90(9):1565-1570.
 
Document last updated January 2022