Am J Occup Ther 2003 Jan-Feb;57(1):108-11
Gallus J, Mathiowetz V.
Fairview Hospitals, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
OBJECTIVE:
The Purdue Pegboard test often is used in clinical settings to evaluate changes in clients' fine motor dexterity. The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability and practice effects of the Purdue Pegboard for persons with multiple sclerosis. In addition, this study compared the reliability of one-trial administration to three-trial administration of the four subtests.
METHOD:
Thirty-two volunteers from a midwestern community-based maintenance rehabilitation center for persons with multiple sclerosis participated in this study. The participants were administered the four subtests of the Purdue Pegboard, three trials in a row. A second administration was completed 1 week later. Data from 25 participants were analyzed using paired t tests, Pearson product-moment correlations, and intraclass correlation coefficients.
RESULTS:
The test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from .85 to .90 for one-trial administration and from .92 to .96 for the sum of three trials. No significant practice effects existed except for the sum of three trials of both hands.
CONCLUSION:
This study suggests that the one-trial administration of the Purdue Pegboard is a sufficiently reliable assessment to use with persons with multiple sclerosis. Findings further suggest that for a person with multiple sclerosis, any changes in Purdue Pegboard scores using one-trial administration may reflect actual change in that person's dexterity, as no practice effect was demonstrated in this study.