Mobility Assessment under Dual Task Conditions in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Test-Retest Reliability Study".

OBJECTIVE: To assess the test-retest reliability of 10-step stair ascent test, TUG test and 10-m walking test under dual task conditions in patients with fibromyalgia. DESIGN: Test-Retest reliability. SETTINGS: Local fibromyalgia association and university facilities. PARTICIPANTS: 38 women with fibromyalgia. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fear of falling and the number of falls in the last year were measured using a visual analogue scale. The 10-step stair ascent test, TUG test and 10-m walking test were conducted under single and dual-task conditions. The order between single and dual-task condition was randomized in both test and retest. Retest measurement was assessed the week following the test. RESULTS: The reliability of the performance on the 10-step stair ascent test under dual and single condition ranged between good (>0.75 and 0.9), but there were significant differences between test and retest. The reliability of the TUG is between good (>0.75 and 0.9) under dual task condition as well as moderate (>0.5 and 0.9) under single condition. The reliability of the 10-m walking dual test are between moderate (>0.5 and 0.75 and < 0.9) under dual and single-task condition respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The TUG and 10-m walking tests are reliable to assess mobility under dual-task condition in women with fibromyalgia. The performance on the TUGt, 10-step stairs ascent and 10-m walking tests under single and dual-task conditions were significantly related to fear of falling. These results may help healthcare professionals and researchers to interpret the effect of interventions in women with fibromyalgia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.