Action Research Arm Test (ARAT)

Summary

What it measures:

Assesses upper limb functioning using observational methods

Target Population:

People with:

Stroke
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Recommendations from the Neurology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association's

StrokEDGE Taskforce, MS EDGE Taskforce, SCI EDGE Taskforce, TBI EDGE Taskforce 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: http://www.neuropt.org/go/healthcare-professionals/neurology-section-outcome-measures-recommendations

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 mo post) (SCI<1 mo post)	Subacute (CVA 2-6 mo) (SCI 3-6 mo)	Chronic (>6 mo)
StrokEDGE	R	R	R
SCI EDGE	LS	LS	LS

Recommendations based on level of care in which the assessment is taken:

	Acute Care	Inpatient Rehabilitation	Skilled Nursing Facility	Outpatient Rehabilitation	Home Health
StrokEDGE	R	R	R	R	R
TBI EDGE	LS	LS	R	R	R

Recommendations based on SCI AIS Classification:

	AIS A/B	AIS C/D
SCI EDGE	LS	LS

Recommendations for use based on ambulatory status after brain injury:

	Completely Independent	Mildly Dependent	Moderately Dependent	Severely Dependant
TBI EDGE	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

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)	Is this tool appropriate for use in intervention research studies? (Y/N)
StrokEDGE	Yes	Yes	Yes
SCI EDGE	No	No	No
TBI EDGE	Yes	Yes	Yes

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