Is the Downs and Black scale a better tool to appraise the quality of the studies using virtual rehabilitation for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation?

Abstract

We appraised the quality of the Randomized Controlled Trials using virtual reality technology for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation. We used the Downs and Black scale and PEDRo scales used for study quality appraisal. Correlation analyses revealed that the total scores of the two scales were moderately correlated. When only the items that were similar between two scales were considered, the correlation was high. Preliminary results suggest that the Downs and Black checklist may be a better option to assess quality of studies that use virtual reality technology for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation.