Comprehensive Coordination Scale (CCS)

The Comprehensive Coordination Scale (CCS) is a measure of coordination of multiple body segments at both motor performance (endpoint movement) and quality of movement (joint rotations and interjoint coordination) levels based on observational kinematics.

In-Depth Review

Purpose of the measure

The Comprehensive Coordination Scale (CCS) is a measure of coordination of multiple body segments at both motor performance (endpoint movement) and quality of movement (joint rotations and interjoint coordination) levels based on observational kinematics. Coordinated movements are defined as movements of one or more limbs or body segments that occur together in identifiable temporal (i.e., timing) and spatial (i.e., positional/angular) patterns, concerning the desired action. It can be measured at a specific point in time during the movement or over the whole movement time.

The CCS can be used by healthcare professionals to assess coordination in older adults and individuals with various neurological conditions. The CCS is composed of six different tests: the Finger-to-Nose Test, the Arm-Trunk Coordination Test, the Finger Opposition Test, the Interlimb Coordination (synchronous anti-phase forearm rotations) Test, the Lower Extremity MOtor COordination Test (LEMOCOT) and the Four-limb Coordination (Upper and lower limb movements) Test.

Available versions

The CCS was developed by Alouche et al. (2021) from valid and reliable tests used in clinical practice and research to assess complementary aspects of motor coordination of the trunk, upper limb (UL), lower limb (LL) and combinations of them. Behavioral elements used to perform each test were identified and rating scales were developed to guide observational kinematic analysis by expert consensus (Alouche et al., 2021).

Features of the measure

Items:
The CCS consists of 6 different tests used in either clinical practice or research to assess complementary aspects of motor coordination of the trunk, upper limb (UL), lower limb (LL) and combinations of them.

  1. Finger-to-Nose Test (FTN)
  2. Arm-Trunk Coordination Test (ATC)
  3. Finger Opposition Test (FOT)
  4. Interlimb Coordination Test (ILC-2)
  5. Lower Extremity MOtor COordination Test (LEMOCOT)
  6. Four-limb Coordination Test (ILC-4)
Body parts tested Type of test Test Behavioral elements scored
Upper limb Unilateral Finger-to-Nose (FTN) Spatial: Stability, smoothness, accuracy
Temporal: Speed
Trunk and arm Unilateral Arm-Trunk Coordination test (ATC) Spatial: Accuracy, interjoint coordination
Upper limb (fine dexterity) Unilateral Finger Opposition (FOT) Spatial: Selectivity
Temporal: Timing
Interlimb coordination=both upper limbs Bilateral Alternate movements of two upper limbs (ILC-2) Spatial: Compensation
Temporal: Synchronicity/ timing
Lower limb Unilateral Lower Extremity MOtor COordination Test (LEMOCOT) Spatial: Smoothness, accuracy
Temporal: Speed
Four-limb coordination = upper limbs and lower limbs Bilateral Alternate movements of both hands and feet (ILC-4) Temporal: Timing/ complexity

Scoring:
Multiple behavioral elements of each test are scored on separate rating scales ranging from 3 (normal coordination) to 0 (impaired coordination) to assess different elements of motor behavior needed to perform the action.
The CCS includes a total of 13 rating scales for the 6 tests.
The CCS score ranges from 0 to 69 points, with higher scores indicating better motor coordination. The CCS total score represents a coordination score for the whole body.
The CCS scores can be broken into 4 subscores: UL, LL, Unilateral, Bilateral.
UL: 54 points (includes FTN-24 points, ATC-12 points, FOT-12 points, and ILC2-6 points).
LL: 12 points (includes LEMOCOT-12 points).
Unilateral: 30 points (includes FTN-12 points, ATC-6 points, FOT-6 points, and LEMOCOT-6 points).
Bilateral: 9 points (includes ILC2-6 points and ILC4-3 points).
The manual describes the initial position, the instructions, and the detailed scoring.

What to consider before beginning:
The CCS is scored based on observational kinematics.

Time:
The CCS takes approximately 10-15 minutes to administer (Molad et al., 2021).

Training requirements:
The healthcare professional should read the CCS manual available on Open Science Framework: Marika Demers, Mindy F Levin, Roni Molad, and Sandra Alouche. 2021. “Comprehensive Coordination Scale.” OSF. July 12. osf.io/8h7nm.

Equipment: