Translation and construct validity of the Trunk Control Measurement Scale in children and youths with brain lesions.
The German TCMS is a valid trunk-control measure for kids with CP or ABI—think about adding it to your tool kit.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Mitteregger et al. (2015) translated the Trunk Control Measurement Scale into German. They tested it on children and youths with brain lesions.
The team checked if the new German scores matched two gold-standard tools. They used the GMFCS and the modified Timed Up and Go.
What they found
The German TCMS lined up well with the GMFCS. It showed a moderate link with the mTUG.
Kids with acquired brain injury could use the scale, but the group was small. A bigger study is still needed.
How this fits with other research
Himuro et al. (2017) did the same job for Japanese. They found strong links between the Functional Mobility Scale and GMFCS. Both papers show translated tools keep their muscle.
Perez et al. (2015) looked at reliability, not validity. They proved the adapted GMFM-88 gives steady scores for kids with CP plus CVI. Elena’s work moves the story forward by showing German TCMS scores mean what we think they mean.
Laposa et al. (2017) later built on their own 2015 work. They compared original and CVI-adapted GMFM-88 scores. The adapted form came out on top, just like TCMS is now ready to shine.
Why it matters
You now have a German trunk-control tool that speaks the same language as GMFCS. If you serve bilingual families or run international clinics, slip the TCMS into your pack. It adds quick, valid trunk data without extra gear.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Print the German TCMS form and trial it during your next trunk-control assessment.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Trunk control is essential for the performance of everyday tasks. Children with neurological impairments such as cerebral palsy (CP) or acquired brain injury (ABI) commonly show impaired trunk control, which leads to restriction in functional activities. The aim of this study was to provide construct validity of the German version of the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS). We investigated convergent and discriminant construct validity by comparing the TCMS with the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and the modified Timed up and Go (mTUG). Several TCMS items were validated with force plate measurements. The centre of pressure (COP) parameters included the standard deviation of amplitude, the COP displacement and the area. Fifty-two children with CP and ten children with ABI (mean age 10.9 years 4.9 months, range 5-18 years, GMFCS levels I-IV) participated. Spearman rank correlation coefficients calculated between the TCMS and the GMFCS and mTUG amounted to -0.75 and -0.42, respectively. Validating TCMS items with COP parameters was difficult. Nevertheless, the results support the validity of the TCMS in children with brain lesions. This study provides paediatric therapists working in German speaking countries with a valid tool to assess impaired trunk control in these children. Although originally designed for children with CP, our results show that the TCMS may also be applicable to children with ABI, but more research is needed on a larger population.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2015 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2015.08.007