Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility and Prehension (GRASSP)
A clinical measure of upper limb function in cervical spinal cord injury.
By Claire White
- Clinician-administered; approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
- Five domains: dorsal strength, palmar strength, sensibility, prehension ability, and prehension performance.
- Total score 0 to 116; higher means better upper limb function.
- Designed specifically for tetraplegia (cervical SCI).
What it measures
The GRASSP assesses five dimensions of upper limb function bilaterally. Strength is tested for 10 muscles of the dorsal and palmar surfaces. Sensibility tests light touch and pin-prick at 3 key hand points. Prehension ability rates 6 grasp patterns on a 0 to 3 scale. Prehension performance times 2 standardised tasks. Together these give a profile of hand function relevant to independence and to BCI-assisted grasping research.
What the result tells you
Domain and total scores (0 to 116) quantify upper limb impairment in tetraplegia. The scale is responsive to neurological and functional recovery. It is used in clinical trials of pharmacological and neuromodulatory interventions for cervical SCI.
Used for
Evidence, psychometrics and provenance
Psychometrics
Inter-rater agreement on a 0 to 1 scale. Higher is better.
- Responsiveness
- Effect sizes 0.4 to 0.9 in acute SCI trials
References
This assessment uses a validated instrument and is reference information, not a diagnosis.