Measurement properties of observational gait analysis tools in neurological disorders: a COSMIN meta-analysis

Objectives To investigate measurement properties of Observational gait analysis (OGA) tools among neurological populations.Methods PRISMA-COSMIN guidelines were followed. Articles included measurement properties studies for OGA tools in neurologic populations were included. Studies were rated as sufficient, insufficient, or indeterminate. Results were synthesized by the population and OGA tool.Results Twenty-eight included articles performed 63 studies for 7 OGA tools that were synthesized in 42 results in stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkison’s disease. The Wisconsin Gait Scale (WGS), and Gait Assessment and Intervention tool (G.A.I.T) in stroke have been studied for all properties except measurement invariance, and all of them were sufficient except measurement error. Other OGA tools were tested in limited studies. All included tools have potential for recommendation; however, none was fully recommended for use.Conclusion WGS and G.A.I.T in stroke have the best potential for recommendation. They can be used at only group-level or cross-sectional analysis due to their large measurement error. Standardized observation methods and measurement invariance studies should be prioritized. Both WGS and G.A.I.T measure gait deviations through 14 and 31 items respectively, WGS provides more feasible assessment while G.A.I.T provides more detailed biomechanical analysis.