Inter and intra-rater reliability of the craniocervical flexion test for the evaluation of deep cervical flexors in patients with chronic neck pain

• Grant number: 22/09483-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2022
• End date: October 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Fernando Approbato Selistre
• Grantee: Camila Nepomuceno Broisler
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Neck pain is among the five musculoskeletal conditions that most cause disability in the population, behind only low back pain. Clinically, chronic cervical pain results in reduced quality of life, functional capacity, and muscle strength. Thus, Correct management of this condition is essential for symptom relief, prevention of recurrent episodes, and loss of productivity at work. For that, reliable measures of muscle strength are fundamental to guide the prescription of exercises for this population. The Craniocervical Flexion Test (CCFT) is a test capable of evaluating the action of the deep cervical flexor muscles. Although its validity has already been proven, its reliability has been tested only in asymptomatic, mixed, or neck pain populations, but without there being a specificity of a population with chronic neck pain. Yet, Another problem is due to the sample size of the population tested, which was below the recommended by COSMIN (Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments). Considering that adequate reliability is the first step for a test to be performed in clinical practice, the CCFT must have its reliability tested in the specific population that the test is intended to be applied to, besides testing its external validity. Objective: To assess the intra- and inter-rater reliability of CCFT in patients with chronic neck pain. Methods: 50 participants will be recruited of both sexes, aged between 18 and 65 years, who presented nonspecific neck pain lasting more than or equal to 3 months and absence of an associated traumatic event. Participants will be submitted to the CCFT test by two evaluators with a 10-minute interval between them for inter-rater evaluation. The procedure will be repeated 5 to 7 days after the first visit to assess intra-rater reliability. Statistical analysis of intra- and inter-rater reliability (ICC2,1) will be performed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) test.