Abstract
Background: The spinal cord independence measure (SCIM) is a newly developed disability scale specific to patients with spinal cord lesions (SCL). Its sensitivity to functional changes in a whole cohort of SCL patients was found to be better than that of the functional independence measure (FIM).
Objective: To compare the sensitivity to functional changes of the SCIM and the FIM in SCL subgroups.
Design: A comparative self-controlled study.
Setting: The Spinal Department, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana, Israel.
Subjects: 22 SCL inpatients.
Interventions: Monthly SCIM and FIM assessments of the subgroups.
Main outcome measures: Functional change detection rate (FDR) and mean differences between consecutive scores (DCS).
Results: The outcome measures of the SCIM were higher than those of the FIM for tetraplegia and paraplegia, complete and incomplete lesions (the FIM missed 25–27% of the functional changes detected by the SCIM; DSC 8.2–11.4 vs 5.2–9; P<0.05 in most comparisons). The SCIM did not exhibit this advantage, however, in the functional areas of self-care and mobility in the room and toilet. Further subgrouping yielded similar results.
Conclusions: The SCIM is more sensitive than the FIM to functional changes in the subgroups studied, and has the potential to serve as a universal tool for disability assessment of SCL patients.
Spinal Cord (2001) 39, 97–100.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Unit of Medical Services, Rehabilitation Department, Ministry of Defence (Grant 1-1006-94).
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Catz, A., Itzkovich, M., Agranov, E. et al. The spinal cord independence measure (SCIM): Sensitivity to functional changes in subgroups of spinal cord lesion patients. Spinal Cord 39, 97–100 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101118
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101118
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