• Elizabeth L Proud, Kimberly J Miller, Belinda Bilney, Sulakshana Balachandran, Jennifer L McGinley, and Meg E Morris.
• Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: eproud@student.unimelb.edu.au.
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015 Mar 1; 96 (3): 540-551.e1.

ObjectivesTo identify measurement tools used for upper limb evaluation in people with Parkinson disease (PD), to summarize the content of each tool using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and to examine the reliability, validity, clinical utility, and responsiveness of the measurement tools specific to this clinical group.Data SourcesTwo systematic searches of online databases included articles published from inception to November 2013.Study SelectionSearch 1 identified upper limb measures. Search 2 retrieved studies investigating the measurement properties of these tools in people with PD.Data ExtractionIndependent reviewers screened articles and extracted data, classified measurement tool content on the basis of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health content domains, and applied both the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments checklist to evaluate the study's methodological quality and a second checklist by Terwee et al to assess the measurement tool's quality. A third reviewer adjudicated differences between reviewers. Information on clinical utility was also compiled.Data SynthesisThe 18 identified measures included PD-specific scales, generic measures, and tools developed for other clinical populations; most measures evaluated impairments and/or activity limitations. Measurement properties of 10 of the 18 identified measures were evaluated in people with PD. No high-quality studies investigated validity or responsiveness. High-quality evidence supported the interrater reliability of some Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale subtests, and lower quality studies provided limited evidence for the test-retest reliability of measures evaluating fine hand function and bradykinesia.ConclusionsThere are relatively few high-quality studies to support the measurement properties, particularly the validity and responsiveness, of tools currently used to evaluate upper limb disability and function in people with PD. Further research is needed to inform measurement tool selection and treatment evaluation in this clinical group.Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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