Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Japanese translation of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper and lower extremity sensorimotor function after stroke.

Objective: To develop an official translation of the original Fugl-Meyer Assessment of upper and lower extremity sensorimotor function into Japanese by following a standardized cross-cultural adaptation process to ensure conceptual, linguistic, and semantic validity.

Design: Cross-cultural translation/validation.

Subjects/patients: Seven Japanese clinical experts and an external expert developed the translation. The pilot study included 10 participants with stroke.

Methods: Following the Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Objectively Assessed Outcome Measures, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment was forward and backward translated and reviewed by an expert group and an external expert familiar with the original scale. The translation was tested in a pilot study with 10 patients with hemiparetic stroke to identify problematic items in intra- and inter-rater agreements.

Results: Sufficient intra- and inter-rater agreements (> 70% agreement) were reached for all items, and only 2 sensation items showed systematic disagreement. These results were incorporated to refine the translation and ensure conceptual, semantic, and linguistic equivalence with the original Fugl-Meyer Assessment.

Conclusion: The culturally validated upper and lower extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment supports the Japanese rehabilitation field and promotes international collaboration by improving the unified assessment of sensorimotor function in individuals with stroke.