Test library › Low back & pelvis
Hoover test
For: Functional (non-organic) leg weakness
Leg weakness that is real to the patient but not caused by damage to the nerves or muscles; it comes from a problem with how the brain controls movement (a functional neurological disorder).
Rule-in strength not calculable (no false positives seen)What the numbers mean
- Positive result: no false positives were seen in the study, so no likelihood ratio can be calculated. How far to trust that depends on how many people without the condition were studied.
- Negative result: a small shift: a negative result nudges the diagnosis down, but does not exclude it.
Source
McWhirter L, Stone J, Sandercock P, Whiteley W. Hoover's sign for the diagnosis of functional weakness: a prospective unblinded cohort study in patients with suspected stroke. J Psychosom Res. 2011;71(6):384–386. PubMed · cohort study
Figures as they will appear in Rule It In, Rule It Out (Trokos, forthcoming). If a newer or better study changes them, this page changes with the book. Figures last updated from the book on 2 October 2026.
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This page gives the published figures. Rule It In, Rule It Out adds how to do this test, what counts as positive, how to read the result, and, where studied, whether combining it with other tests helps.
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