Purpose
The TCT measures four simple aspects of trunk movement.
Area of Assessment
Balance – Non-vestibularFunctional Mobility
Administration Mode
Paper & PencilCost
Not FreeCost Description
Cost not knownDiagnosis/Conditions
- Stroke Recovery
The TCT measures four simple aspects of trunk movement.
4
Less than 5 minutes
Adults
18 - 64
yearsOlder Adults
65 +
yearsInitially reviewed by Irene Ward, PT, DPT, NCS and the TBI EDGE task force of the Neurology Section of the APTA in 6/2012; Updated by Rie Yoshida and Heather Anderson of the StrokEdge II Task Force, Neurology Section, APTA in 3/2016
Recommendations for use of the instrument from the Neurology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Multiple Sclerosis Taskforce (MSEDGE), Parkinson’s Taskforce (PD EDGE), Spinal Cord Injury Taskforce (PD EDGE), Stroke Taskforce (StrokEDGE), Traumatic Brain Injury Taskforce (TBI EDGE), and Vestibular Taskforce (Vestibular EDGE) are listed below. These recommendations were developed by a panel of research and clinical experts using a modified Delphi process.
For detailed information about how recommendations were made, please visit:
Abbreviations: |
|
HR |
Highly Recommend |
R |
Recommend |
LS / UR |
Reasonable to use, but limited study in target group / Unable to Recommend |
NR |
Not Recommended |
Recommendations for use based on acuity level of the patient:
|
Acute (CVA < 2 months post) (SCI < 1 month post) (Vestibular < 6 weeks post) |
Subacute (CVA 2 to 6 months) (SCI 3 to 6 months) |
Chronic (> 6 months) |
StrokEDGE |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Recommendations based on level of care in which the assessment is taken:
|
Acute Care |
Inpatient Rehabilitation |
Skilled Nursing Facility |
Outpatient Rehabilitation |
Home Health |
MS EDGE |
UR |
UR |
UR |
NR |
UR |
StrokEDGE |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
TBI EDGE |
LS |
LS |
LS |
LS |
LS |
Recommendations for use based on ambulatory status after brain injury:
|
Completely Independent |
Mildly dependant |
Moderately Dependant |
Severely Dependant |
TBI EDGE |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Recommendations based on EDSS Classification:
|
EDSS 0.0 – 3.5 |
EDSS 4.0 – 5.5 |
EDSS 6.0 – 7.5 |
EDSS 8.0 – 9.5 |
MS EDGE |
NR |
NR |
NR |
UR |
Recommendations for entry-level physical therapy education and use in research:
|
Students should learn to administer this tool? (Y/N) |
Students should be exposed to tool? (Y/N) |
Appropriate for use in intervention research studies? (Y/N) |
Is additional research warranted for this tool (Y/N) |
MS EDGE |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
StrokEDGE |
No |
No |
No |
Not reported |
TBI EDGE |
No |
Yes |
No |
Not reported |
Stroke: (Collin & Wade, 1990; n = 12 female and n = 24 male patients; age range of male patients = 15-77 years; age range of women = 45-69 years; tested 6, 12 and 18 weeks post stroke)
At 18 weeks, scores of 50 or more were associated with recovery of walking
Patients scoring under 40 were non-ambulatory
Chronic Stroke: (Verheyden et al., 2006; n = 51,16 females, 35 males, mean age = 65 (11) years, range 39-84 years; median days post stroke = 129 days; 29 patients walked without assistance, 22 patients could not walk without assistance or were non-ambulatory)
The median score on TCT was 61 points (61%)
Subjects unable to walk without physical assistance had a median score on the TCT of 43 points (24-49)
Subjects who were able to walk without physical assistance had a median score on the TCT of 61 points (61-100)
Stroke: (Collin & Wade, 1990)
Excellent interrater reliability (r = 0.76, p < 0.001)
Stroke: (Franchignoni et al.,1997; n = 49, mean age = 68 (13) years; average interval from onset of stroke to admission to rehab was 46 days (median, 40; range 31-78 days))
Predictive Validity:
Stroke: (Duarte et al, 2002; n = 28, mean time after stroke onset= 15.3 (6) days; mean initial disability measured with the FIM and motFIM was 84 (22.4) and 52.7 (19.2); mean TCT= 76.4 (24))
The better the initial trunk control patients have, the longer walking distance and the faster speed they achieve at hospital discharge.
TCT showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.003) between patients whose walking distance at discharge was longer than 50 m (mean TCT 88.9 (SD 14.3)) and patients whose walking distance was shorter than 50 m (mean TCT 61.9(25.2)).
Excellent correlations were also statistically significant between the TCT and the time required to walk a 10 m straight walkway at a comfortable (r = -0.644) and at maximal (r = -0.654) safe pace: the better initial TCT was, the higher gait velocities at discharge were.
Excellent inverse correlation between TCT and length of stay: hemiparetic patients with worse trunk control at admission stay longer in a rehabilitation ward. (r = -0.722).
Excellent correlation between admission TCT scores and FIM at discharge. Total FIM r = 0.738, motFIM =0.723.
Stroke: (Collin & Wade, 1990)
Chronic Stroke: (Verheyden et al., 2006)
Twelve participants (24%) reached the maximum score of 100 points on the TCT.
This indicates a ceiling effect on the TCT in non-acute and chronic stroke patients.
Stroke: (Franchignoni et al., 1997)
36 patients (72%) changed the overall TCT score at discharge
The TCT test showed a good sensitivity to change
Elderly: (Farriols et al., 2009; n = 21 patients, mean age 78.5(6.7) years, who had developed walking disability after prolonged bed rest for an acute condition)
Contrary to earlier studies involving younger individuals with stroke, this study failed to show a good correlation between TCT and ability to walk in elderly patients after prolonged bed rest for an acute illness.
Acquired Brain Injury: (Montecchi et al, 2013; n = 59 patients, mean age 48.9 (14.01) years, who had developed ABI following stroke, head trauma or anoxia)
Excellent correlation between TCT and TRS (Trunk Recovery Scale). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient rs = 0.943; 95% CI: 0.904 – 0.967)
Collin, C. and Wade, D. (1990). "Assessing motor impairment after stroke: a pilot reliability study." Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 53(7): 576-579.
Duarte, E., Marco, E., et al. (2002). "Trunk control test as a functional predictor in stroke patients." J Rehabil Med 34(6): 267-272.
Farriols, C., Bajo, L., et al. (2009). "Functional decline after prolonged bed rest following acute illness in elderly patients: is trunk control test (TCT) a predictor of recovering ambulation?" Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 49(3): 409-412.
Franchignoni, F. P., Tesio, L., et al. (1997). "Trunk control test as an early predictor of stroke rehabilitation outcome." Stroke (00392499) 28(7): 1382-1385.
Verheyden, G., Nieuwboer, A., et al. (2007). "Clinical tools to measure trunk performance after stroke: a systematic review of the literature." Clinical Rehabilitation 21(5): 387-394.
Verheyden, G., Vereeck, L., et al. (2006). "Trunk performance after stroke and the relationship with balance, gait and functional ability." Clinical Rehabilitation 20(5): 451-458.
We have reviewed more than 500 instruments for use with a number of diagnoses including stroke, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury among several others.