Skip to main content

Table 5 Main categories of outcome measures (parameters) that are suggested in the studies that used pendulum test

From: Objective assessment of spasticity by pendulum test: a systematic review on methods of implementation and outcome measures

Signal

Category #

Parameter

Measure/parameter definition

Refs.

Angle

1

Onset Ang

Angle at the start of test response

[19]

A0

Knee angle at the beginning of the test during maximal limb extension

[13, 35, 47]

αs initial angle

Initial Knee angle

[41]

2

F1 Ang

Angle at the end of initial movement into flexion

[19, 36]

F1 Amp

F1 Ang—Onset Ang

[19, 36]

Ex

First swing excursion: the difference between the starting angle (the position at which the examiner released the participant’s heel) and the first angle of reversal of the swinging limb

[59]

P4

First maximum of the oscillation

[38, 45]

FAR

knee angle when shank motion first switched from flexion to extension

[18]

A1

The amplitude of the first swing

[38, 44]

Magnitude of first drop

ϕmax

The first maximum of the goniogram after releasing the leg

[35]

αp

The peak angle of the first swing

[41]

Θ1 first reversal

First maximum of the oscillation

[6, 46]

3

E1 Ang

Angle at the end of initial movement into extension

[38]

E1 Amp

F1 Ang—E1 Ang

[38]

A2

The angular change between the first minimum and second maximum

[35, 40]

4

Rest Ang

Resting knee angle

[6, 18, 19, 44, 46]

Rest angle (RA) θr

Knee angle at the end of oscillations

Plat Amp

Rest Ang—onset Ang

[19, 36]

αf

Final position of the leg

[41]

5

Duration

Duration of oscillations

[6, 43]

T

Test duration

Relative Swing Time

The time between the peaks, Normalized to the height of the person

[17, 29]

TFR

Time to first reversal: time interval between the start of shank motion and the first reversal from flexion to extension

[18]

Test Duration

Duration from onset Angle to rest angle

[19]

6

F

Frequency of oscillations

[35, 44]

Frequency of the swing

C1 Freq

Initial cycle frequency = 1/duration of E1 Ang

[19]

N

The number of sinusoidal waves produced by the swinging limb after the heel was released (minimum of 3 degrees)

[6, 37, 38, 45, 56]

P2

The Number of swings

Ncyc

Number of cycles (full oscillations) was counted between start of motion and until the oscillation amplitudes is less than 3 degrees

[46]

7

RI

Relaxation index: (starting angle − first angle) / (starting angle − resting angle)

[28, 45, 56]

F1 Amp / Plat Amp

[19]

Θ1 / θr

[6]

ERI

Extension Relaxation index = E1 Amp/ Plat Amp

[19, 36]

β

Damping ratio. Defined as the ratio of the logarithmic decrement (δ) to the period; expressed in sec

[43]

λ

Defined as the natural log of the second to fourth peak amplitude ratio

[43]

P1

Normalized relaxation index

[38, 45]

P5

Relaxation index at the half swing

[38, 45]

P6

Average relaxation index of 10 successive swings

[38]

Ratio 1

Ratio 1: A1/(A1 − A2), where A1 is the amplitude of the first oscillation and A2 is the amplitude of the second oscillation

[18, 28, 38, 52, 58]

Ratio R1

Ratio R1: A/B, where A is the amplitude of the first oscillation and B is the amplitude of the second oscillation

R1 ratio

The amplitude of the first swing (A) divided by the amplitude of the rebound angle

Ratio 2

Ratio R2

R2 ratio

Ratio 2: A1/A0, where A0 is the final resting angle and A1 is the amplitude of the first oscillation

[17, 29, 34, 38, 40, 42]

R2: first swing (A) divided by the amplitude of the final position (C)

R2n

The normalized relaxation index. R2n: A1/1.6A0, where A0 is the knee angle between the full extension (starting position) and the neutral knee joint angle (end position), and A1 is the difference between the starting angle and the maximum flexion

[35, 38, 41]

8

AUC

Area Under Curve: area between the knee angle during oscillations and the resting angle; it is the integral of the absolute value of the knee angle

[18, 38, 46]

P3

Ptotal

The area between the goniogram and the time axis

[35]

Relative area difference

Relative difference |P +  − P-|/Ptotal between the positive and negative areas and the total area between the goniogram and the neutral line starting from the first minimum

[35]

9

PT

Total pendulum Score (combination of multiple parameters)

[35]

Angular velocity

1

ωmax

The maximum angular velocity of the shank

[35]

Vmax

maximal velocity of the first swing (°/s)

[17, 28, 29]

F1 Vel

Maximum velocity during F1 Amp

[19]

P7

First maximum of the tachogram

[38]

2

VFR

Velocity to first reversal: VFR = FAR / TFR

[18, 46]

3

E1 Vel

Maximum velocity during E1 Amp

[19]

P8

First minimum the tachogram

[38]

ωmin

The minimum angular velocity of the shank

[35]

Angular acceleration

1

F1 A/D ratio

Initial flexion acceleration/deceleration ratio = Max acceleration duration F1 Amp/ Max deceleration during F1 Amp

[19]

First Maximum Acceleration

First Maximum Acceleration during flexion phase

[28]

Max Acc on the rebound swing

Max Acceleration during extension phase

[28]