Table 2 Summary of results of the included studies
Study | Measurement property | Raters and testing schedule | Participants | Muscles tested | Statistical measures | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiu and Lo [4] | Reliability (test-retest) | Raters not reported Between day testing Time interval: 2–3 days | CNP | Neck flexor, extensor, left and right lateral flexors, protractors, and retractors | ICC (95% CI) and 2-way nested ANOVA random model | ICC (95% CI) Flexion: 0.99 (0.97, 1.0) Extension: 0.95 (0.90, 0.99) Right lateral flexion: 0.92 (0.74, 0.97) Left lateral flexion: 0.94 (0.89, 0.97) Protraction: 0.99 (0.97, 1.0) Retraction: 0.97 (0.95, 0.99) |
Cibulka et al. [3] | Reliability (intra-rater) Measurement error | 2 raters Same day testing Time interval: 1 min | CNP | Left and right Sternocleidomastoid | ICC (2.2) (95% CI) MDC95 SEM = SD × √ (1-ICC) | ICC (95% CI) Left: 0.97 (0.95–0.99) Right: 0.95 (0.1–0.98) SEM Left: 1.82 Right: 1.67 MDC Left: 3.16 Right: 3.56 |
Jordan et al. [11] | Reliability (Intra-rater) Measurement error | 1 rater Same day testing Time interval: 1-2 minutes | CNP | Neck flexors and extensors | A linear regression model analysis to derive the correlation coefficient (r) CoV | r Maximal isometric torque in flexion: r = 0.968 (p > 0.001) Maximal isometric torque in extension: r = 0.938 (p > 0.001) CoV Flexion: 6.5% Extension: 13% No systematic difference between recordings (p > 0.05) |
O’Leary et al. [25] | Reliability (test-retest) Measurement error | 1 rater Between day testing Time interval: 2 weeks | CNP | Cranio-cervical flexors | ICC (2.1) SEM | (MVIC peak torque): ICC Inner torque–0.93 Middle torque–0.91 Outer torque–0.87 SEM (Nm) Inner torque–0.7 Middle torque–1 Outer torque–1 |
Pearson et al. [26] | Reliability (test-retest) Measurement error | Raters not reported Between day testing Time interval: 48 h | WAD | Neck flexors, extensors, right and left lateral flexors, protractors, and retractors | ICC (3.3) (95% CI) SEM = SD × √ (1–ICC) MDC (90% CI) = SEM × √2 × (z score)90 CoV | ICC (95% CI) Flexion: 0.95 (0.83–0.98) Extension: 0.98 (0.93–0.99) Protraction: 0.85 (0.54–0.95) Retraction: 0.89 (0.64–0.96) Left lateral flexion: 0.93 (0.77–0.98) Right lateral flexion: 0.87 (0.59–0.96) Composite: 0.95 (0.84–0.98) SEM (N) On average, ±9.1 N for an individual with WAD Flexion: 7.5 Extension: 6.2 Protraction: 13.7 Retraction: 14.6 Left lateral flexion: 6.2 Right lateral flexion: 6.4 Composite: 9.1 ± 3.9 MDC (90% CI) (N) Average ± SD MDC90 values for force recordings were 21.1 ± 9.2 N for the WAD group Flexion: 17.5 Extension: 14.5 Protraction: 31.9 Retraction: 33.9 Left lateral flexion: 14.4 Right lateral flexion: 14.8 Composite: 21.1 ± 9.2 CoV (%) Flexion: 18.9 Extension: 11.2 Protraction: 30.9 Retraction: 29.9 Left lateral flexion: 16.2 Right lateral flexion: 18.9 Composite: 21 ± 7.8 |
Scheuer and Friedrich [28] | Reliability (Intra and inter-rater) | Intra-rater: 1 rater Inter-rater: 2 raters Intra-rater (short term): same-day testing Time interval: 30–60 min (long term): between-day testing Time interval: 3–5 days Inter-rater: same-day testing Time interval: 30–60 min | CNP | Neck flexors, extensors, left and right lateral flexors | ICC | ICC Flexion: 0.85 Extension: 0.76 Left lateral flexion: 0.80 Right lateral flexion: 0.87 |
Shahidi et al. [30] | Reliability (inter-rater) Measurement error | 2 raters Between-day testing Time interval: Mean ± SD (range) 9 ± 4 days (3–14 days) | CNP | Neck flexors, extensors and lateral flexors | ICC (2.1) (95% CI) (two-way random effects model for absolute agreement MDC = 1.96 × √2 × SD × √ (1–test-retest reliability coefficient) | ICC (95% CI) Flexion: 0.54 (0.05–0.81) Extension: 0.39 (−0.10–0.73) Left side flexion: 0.72 (0.37–0.89) Right side flexion: 0.56 (0.22–0.82) MDC Flexion: 8.7 Extension: 12.5 Left side flexion: 6.3 Right side flexion: 7.2 |
Vernon et al. [33] | Reliability (intra-rater) | Raters not reported Same day testing Time interval: 5 secs | CNP | Neck flexors, extensors, right rotators and right lateral flexors | ICC | ICC Flexion: 0.98 Extension: 0.95 Right rotation: 0.99 Right lateral flexion: 0.98 All ranges of motion: 0.98 |
Ylinen et al. [37] | Reliability (test-retest) | 2 raters Between day testing Time interval: 1 day | CNP | Neck flexor, extensor left and right rotators | ICC | ICC Flexion: 0.86 (0.70–0.94) Extension: 0.98 (0.94–0.99) Left rotation: 0.75 (0.49–0.89) Right rotation: 0.74 (0.47–0.89) |