Comprehensive Coordination Scale (CCS)
Purpose
The Comprehensive Coordination Scale (CCS) is a measure of coordination of multiple body segments at both motor performance (endpoint movement) and quality of movement (joint rotations and interjoint coordination) levels based on observational kinematics.
In-Depth Review
Purpose of the measure
The Comprehensive Coordination Scale (CCS) is a measure of coordination of multiple body segments at both motor performance (endpoint movement) and quality of movement (joint rotations and interjoint coordination) levels based on observational kinematics. Coordinated movements are defined as movements of one or more limbs or body segments that occur together in identifiable temporal (i.e., timing) and spatial (i.e., positional/angular) patterns, concerning the desired action. It can be measured at a specific point in time during the movement or over the whole movement time.
The CCS can be used by healthcare professionals to assess coordination in older adults and individuals with various neurological conditions. The CCS is composed of six different tests: the Finger-to-Nose Test, the Arm-Trunk Coordination Test, the Finger Opposition Test, the Interlimb Coordination (synchronous anti-phase forearm rotations) Test, the Lower Extremity MOtor COordination Test (LEMOCOT) and the Four-limb Coordination (Upper and lower limb movements) Test.
Available versions
The CCS was developed by Alouche et al. (2021) from valid and reliable tests used in clinical practice and research to assess complementary aspects of motor coordination of the trunk, upper limb (UL), lower limb (LL) and combinations of them. Behavioral elements used to perform each test were identified and rating scales were developed to guide observational kinematic analysis by expert consensus (Alouche et al., 2021).
Features of the measure
Items:
The CCS consists of 6 different tests used in either clinical practice or research to assess complementary aspects of motor coordination of the trunk, upper limb (UL), lower limb (LL) and combinations of them.
- Finger-to-Nose Test (FTN)
- Arm-Trunk Coordination Test (ATC)
- Finger Opposition Test (FOT)
- Interlimb Coordination Test (ILC-2)
- Lower Extremity MOtor COordination Test (LEMOCOT)
- Four-limb Coordination Test (ILC-4)
Body parts tested | Type of test | Test | Behavioral elements scored |
---|---|---|---|
Upper limb | Unilateral | Finger-to-Nose (FTN) | Spatial: Stability, smoothness, accuracy Temporal: Speed |
Trunk and arm | Unilateral | Arm-Trunk Coordination test (ATC) | Spatial: Accuracy, interjoint coordination |
Upper limb (fine dexterity) | Unilateral | Finger Opposition (FOT) | Spatial: Selectivity Temporal: Timing |
Interlimb coordination=both upper limbs | Bilateral | Alternate movements of two upper limbs (ILC-2) | Spatial: Compensation Temporal: Synchronicity/ timing |
Lower limb | Unilateral | Lower Extremity MOtor COordination Test (LEMOCOT) | Spatial: Smoothness, accuracy Temporal: Speed |
Four-limb coordination = upper limbs and lower limbs | Bilateral | Alternate movements of both hands and feet (ILC-4) | Temporal: Timing/ complexity |
Scoring:
Multiple behavioral elements of each test are scored on separate rating scales ranging from 3 (normal coordination) to 0 (impaired coordination) to assess different elements of motor behavior needed to perform the action.
The CCS includes a total of 13 rating scales for the 6 tests.
The CCS score ranges from 0 to 69 points, with higher scores indicating better motor coordination. The CCS total score represents a coordination score for the whole body.
The CCS scores can be broken into 4 subscores: UL, LL, Unilateral, Bilateral.
UL: 54 points (includes FTN-24 points, ATC-12 points, FOT-12 points, and ILC2-6 points).
LL: 12 points (includes LEMOCOT-12 points).
Unilateral: 30 points (includes FTN-12 points, ATC-6 points, FOT-6 points, and LEMOCOT-6 points).
Bilateral: 9 points (includes ILC2-6 points and ILC4-3 points).
The manual describes the initial position, the instructions, and the detailed scoring.
What to consider before beginning:
The CCS is scored based on observational kinematics.
Time:
The CCS takes approximately 10-15 minutes to administer (Molad et al., 2021).
Training requirements:
The healthcare professional should read the CCS manual available on Open Science Framework: Marika Demers, Mindy F Levin, Roni Molad, and Sandra Alouche. 2021. “Comprehensive Coordination Scale.” OSF. July 12. osf.io/8h7nm.
Equipment:
- Chair with back support and without armrests (suggested seat height: 46 cm)
- Footstool, if needed
- Targets:
- One 2.54 cm-diameter sticker (FNT)
- One target (sphere of 2.54 cm-diameter or a cube of similar dimensions) on an adjustable height support (ATC)
- Two 5 cm-diameter stickers placed 30 cm (centre-to-centre) apart and attached to a cardboard (LEMOCOT test)
- Stopwatch / timer
- Table (optional, suggested height: 72 cm)
- Pillow (optional)
Client suitability
Can be used with:
- Individuals with neurological disorders
Should not be used with:
- No information availble
In what languages is the measure available?
English
Summary
What does the tool measure? | Temporal and spatial aspects of coordination. |
What types of clients can the tool be used for? | The CCS can be used with patients with neurological disorders. |
Is this a screening or assessment tool? |
Assessment tool. |
Time to administer | 10-15 minutes. |
ICF Domain | Body function. |
Other Languages | French Canadian, Portuguese (both not published) |
Measurement Properties | |
Reliability |
Internal consistency One study has reported high internal consistency Test-retest: Intra-rater: Inter-rater: |
Validity |
Content: One study has examined the content validity of the CCS. Using a Delphi Study done by a panel of experts. The CCS was found to have strong content validity (Alouch et al., 2021). Criterion: Construct: |
Floor/Ceiling Effects | One study reported excellent floor and ceiling effects for the CCS (Molad et al., 2021). |
Does the tool detect change in patients? | No studies have reported on the responsiveness of the CCS within a stroke |
Acceptability | The CCS is non-invasive and quick to administer. The use of visual observation instead of complex and costly motion analysis equipment to analyze movement makes this scale clinically accessible and easy to use. |
Feasibility | The CCS is free and is suitable for administration in various settings. The assessment requires minimal specialist equipment or training. It takes 10-15 minutes to be completed. |
How to obtain the tool? | Alouche SR, Molad R, Demers M, Levin MF. Development of a Comprehensive Outcome Measure for Motor Coordination; Step 1: Three-Phase Content Validity Process. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2021 Feb;35(2):185-193. doi: 10.1177/1545968320981955. [Supplementary materials] The CCS manual can be accessed on the Open Science Framework website: Marika Demers, Mindy F Levin, Roni Molad, and Sandra Alouche. 2021. “Comprehensive Coordination Scale.” OSF. July 12. osf.io/8h7nm. |
Psychometric Properties
Overview
A literature search was conducted to identify all relevant publications on the psychometric properties of the Comprehensive Coordination Scale (CCS) in individuals with stroke
Floor/Ceiling Effects
Molad et al. (2021) examined floor/ceiling effects of the CCS in a sample of 30 participants with chronic stroke
. For the CCS-UL and CCS-LL subscales, 3.3% and 6.7% of participants reached the maximal score, respectively. Ten percent of participants scored 0 or 30 on the CCS-Unilateral subscale
.
Reliability
Internal consistencyA method of measuring reliability . Internal consistency reflects the extent to which items of a test measure various aspects of the same characteristic and nothing else. Internal consistency coefficients can take on values from 0 to 1. Higher values represent higher levels of internal consistency.:
Molad et al. (2021) assessed the internal consistencyA method of measuring reliability . Internal consistency reflects the extent to which items of a test measure various aspects of the same characteristic and nothing else. Internal consistency coefficients can take on values from 0 to 1. Higher values represent higher levels of internal consistency. of the CCS in a sample of 30 chronic strokeAlso called a “brain attack” and happens when brain cells die because of inadequate blood flow. 20% of cases are a hemorrhage in the brain caused by a rupture or leakage from a blood vessel. 80% of cases are also know as a “schemic stroke”, or the formation of a blood clot in a vessel supplying blood to the brain. survivors, using principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The authors reported excellent internal consistencyA method of measuring reliability . Internal consistency reflects the extent to which items of a test measure various aspects of the same characteristic and nothing else. Internal consistency coefficients can take on values from 0 to 1. Higher values represent higher levels of internal consistency. (composite reliabilityReliability can be defined in a variety of ways. It is generally understood to be the extent to which a measure is stable or consistent and produces similar results when administered repeatedly. A more technical definition of reliability is that it is the proportion of “true” variation in scores derived from a particular measure. The total variation in any given score may be thought of as consisting of true variation (the variation of interest) and error variation (which includes random error as well as systematic error). True variation is that variation which actually reflects differences in the construct under study, e.g., the actual severity of neurological impairment. Random error refers to “noise” in the scores due to chance factors, e.g., a loud noise distracts a patient thus affecting his performance, which, in turn, affects the score. Systematic error refers to bias that influences scores in a specific direction in a fairly consistent way, e.g., one neurologist in a group tends to rate all patients as being more disabled than do other neurologists in the group. There are many variations on the measurement of reliability including alternate-forms, internal consistency , inter-rater agreement , intra-rater agreement , and test-retest .
= 0.938). Factor analysis of the entire CCS revealed two components explaining 99% of the variance: Factor 1: movement quality (8 items), Factor 2: endpoint performance (5 items).
Intra-rater:
Molad et al. (2021) assessed the intra-rater reliability of the CCS in 30 chronic stroke survivors. The intra-rater reliability was evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The CCS has excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.97; 95%; CI: 0.93-0.98). All four subscales also have excellent intra-rater reliability: CCS-UL subscale (ICC = 0.96; 95%; CI: 0.92-0.98), CCS-LL subscale (ICC = 0.79; 95%; CI: 0.36-0.92), CCS-Unilateral (ICC = 0.98; 95%; CI: 0.96-0.99) and CCS-Bilateral scores (ICC = 0.95; 95%CI: 0.89-0.97).
Inter-rater:
Molad et al. (2021) assessed the inter-rater reliability of the CCS in 30 chronic stroke survivors. The inter-rater reliability was evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The CCS has excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98; 95%; CI: 0.95-0.99). All four subscales also have excellent inter-rater reliability: CCS-UL subscale (ICC = 0.96; 95%; CI: 0.91-0.98), CCS-LL subscale (ICC = 0.76; 95%; CI: 0.25-0.9), CCS-Unilateral scores (ICC = 0.99; 95%; CI: 0.97-0.99) and CCS-Bilateral (ICC = 0.95; 95%; CI: 0.89-0.98).
Validity
Content:
Alouche et al. (2021) conducted a 3-phase content validation supporting the importance, level of comprehension and feasibility of the CCS in identifying and quantifying coordination of movements made by individuals with neurological deficits in a clinical setting. First, a literature review was performed to generate unilateral and bilateral tests of UL, LL, and trunk coordination currently used in clinical practice or research studies for the CCS. From the 2761 studies reviewed, 5 tests were selected: FTN, ATC, LEMOCOT, ILC2, and ILC4. A Delphi study, using a structured questionnaire with open-ended questions, was done with 8 expert clinicians and researchers to identify the relative importance of each test, test element, and rating scales, the level of comprehension of the instructions, and the feasibility of each test. Then, a focus group meeting was held with 6 experts to refine the instructions and the rating scales. A consensus was reached to add the Finger Opposition Test (FOT) to the final version of the CCS to assess the selectivity and timing of finger movements.
Criterion:
Concurrent:
No studies have reported on the concurrent validityTo validate a new measure, the results of the measure are compared to the results of the gold standard obtained at approximately the same point in time (concurrently), so they both reflect the same construct. This approach is useful in situations when a new or untested tool is potentially more efficient, easier to administer, more practical, or safer than another more established method and is being proposed as an alternative instrument. See also “gold standard.”
of the CCS.
Predictive:
No studies have reported on the predictive validityA form of criterion validity that examines a measure’s ability to predict some subsequent event. Example: can the Berg Balance Scale predict falls over the following 6 weeks? The criterion standard in this example would be whether the patient fell over the next 6 weeks.
of the CCS.
Construct:
Convergent/Discriminant:
Molad et al. (2021) examined the convergent validityA type of validity that is determined by hypothesizing and examining the overlap between two or more tests that presumably measure the same construct. In other words, convergent validity is used to evaluate the degree to which two or more measures that theoretically should be related to each other are, in fact, observed to be related to each other.
in a sample of 30 chronic strokeAlso called a “brain attack” and happens when brain cells die because of inadequate blood flow. 20% of cases are a hemorrhage in the brain caused by a rupture or leakage from a blood vessel. 80% of cases are also know as a “schemic stroke”, or the formation of a blood clot in a vessel supplying blood to the brain. survivors. Convergent validityA type of validity that is determined by hypothesizing and examining the overlap between two or more tests that presumably measure the same construct. In other words, convergent validity is used to evaluate the degree to which two or more measures that theoretically should be related to each other are, in fact, observed to be related to each other.
of the total CCS was measured with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (total score and motor score). Adequate convergent validityA type of validity that is determined by hypothesizing and examining the overlap between two or more tests that presumably measure the same construct. In other words, convergent validity is used to evaluate the degree to which two or more measures that theoretically should be related to each other are, in fact, observed to be related to each other.
of the CCS with FMA-Total Score (ρ=0.602; p=0.001) and FMA-Motor Score (ρ=0.585; p<0.001) was obtained. The convergent validityA type of validity that is determined by hypothesizing and examining the overlap between two or more tests that presumably measure the same construct. In other words, convergent validity is used to evaluate the degree to which two or more measures that theoretically should be related to each other are, in fact, observed to be related to each other.
of the subcales was measured with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, prehension and pinch strength, Box and Blocks and 10-meter walk test. CCS-UL and CCS-Unilateral scores were moderate to strongly correlated with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (total score and motor score), prehension and pinch strength, Box and Blocks and 10-meter walk test. The CCS-LL subscaleMany measurement instruments are multidimensional and are designed to measure more than one construct or more than one domain of a single construct. In such instances subscales can be constructed in which the various items from a scale are grouped into subscales. Although a subscale could consist of a single item, in most cases subscales consist of multiple individual items that have been combined into a composite score (National Multiple Sclerosis Society).
was moderately correlated with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (total score and motor score) and the Box and Blocks. The CCS-Bilateral subscaleMany measurement instruments are multidimensional and are designed to measure more than one construct or more than one domain of a single construct. In such instances subscales can be constructed in which the various items from a scale are grouped into subscales. Although a subscale could consist of a single item, in most cases subscales consist of multiple individual items that have been combined into a composite score (National Multiple Sclerosis Society).
was moderately correlated with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (total score and UL motor score) and the Box and Blocks.
Known Group:
Molad & Levin (2021) examined the known group validity
of the ILC2 subscale
in a sample of 13 stroke
Responsiveness
The responsivenessThe ability of an instrument to detect clinically important change over time.
for the CCS has not been established.
Measurement error:
Molad et al. (2021) examined the measurement error in a sample of 30 chronic strokeAlso called a “brain attack” and happens when brain cells die because of inadequate blood flow. 20% of cases are a hemorrhage in the brain caused by a rupture or leakage from a blood vessel. 80% of cases are also know as a “schemic stroke”, or the formation of a blood clot in a vessel supplying blood to the brain. survivors. The standard error of the measurement (SEM) was calculated based on the standard deviation (SD) of the sample and the reliabilityReliability can be defined in a variety of ways. It is generally understood to be the extent to which a measure is stable or consistent and produces similar results when administered repeatedly. A more technical definition of reliability is that it is the proportion of “true” variation in scores derived from a particular measure. The total variation in any given score may be thought of as consisting of true variation (the variation of interest) and error variation (which includes random error as well as systematic error). True variation is that variation which actually reflects differences in the construct under study, e.g., the actual severity of neurological impairment. Random error refers to “noise” in the scores due to chance factors, e.g., a loud noise distracts a patient thus affecting his performance, which, in turn, affects the score. Systematic error refers to bias that influences scores in a specific direction in a fairly consistent way, e.g., one neurologist in a group tends to rate all patients as being more disabled than do other neurologists in the group. There are many variations on the measurement of reliability including alternate-forms, internal consistency , inter-rater agreement , intra-rater agreement , and test-retest .
of measurement. The minimal detectable change (MDC)Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) refers to the minimal amount of change outside of error that reflects true change by a patient between two time points (rather than a variation in measurement). at the 95% confidence level was computed. The CCS SEM was 1.80 points and the MDC95 was 4.98 points. The SEM and MDC values for the CCS, the CCS-UL, CCS-Unilateral and CCS-bilateral were less than 17%. Only the CCS-LL had an MDC greater than 17%. For the CCS and all subscales, the SEM was smaller than the MDC.
References
Alouche, S.R., Molad, R., Demers, M., Levin, M.F. (2021) Development of a Comprehensive Outcome Measure for Motor Coordination; Step 1: Three-Phase Content Validity Process. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 35(2):185-193. doi: 10.1177/1545968320981955. PMID: 33349134.
Molad, R., Alouche, S.R., Demers, M., Levin, M.F. (2021) Development of a Comprehensive Outcome Measure for Motor Coordination, Step 2: Reliability and Construct Validity in Chronic Stroke Patients. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 35(2):194-203. doi: 10.1177/1545968320981943. PMID: 33410389.
Molad, R., & Levin, M. F. (2021) Construct validity of the upper-limb Interlimb Coordination Test (ILC2) in stroke. Neurorehabil Neural Repair [epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1177/1545968321105809. PMID: 34715755
See the measure
The tool is available as supplementary material in:
Alouche SR, Molad R, Demers M, Levin MF. Development of a Comprehensive Outcome Measure for Motor Coordination; Step 1: Three-Phase content validity
Process. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2021 Feb;35(2):185-193. doi: 10.1177/1545968320981955. [Supplementary materials]
The CCS manual can be accessed on the Open Science Framework website:
Marika Demers, Mindy F Levin, Roni Molad, and Sandra Alouche. 2021. “Comprehensive Coordination Scale.” OSF. July 12. osf.io/8h7nm.