Hand Strength + Fatigue study - from The Netherlands

[Guest guest]

(FYI - HSMN is another name for CMT ~ G)

1: Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002 Sep;83(9):1274-8

Hand strength and fatigue in patients with hereditary motor and sensory

neuropathy (types I and II).

Videler AJ, Beelen A, Aufdemkampe G, de Groot IJ, Van Leemputte M.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Academic Medical Center,

University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

annemieke@...

OBJECTIVES: To compare maximal isometric hand strength and fatigue

between subjects with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) and

healthy controls and to test the reproducibility of handgrip strength

(peak force of handgrip [PFgrip]) and fatigue.

DESIGN: PFgrip and the decline in PFgrip during 3 sets of 15

contractions were compared.

SETTING: University hospital in The Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS: Twenty subjects with HMSN and 20 age- and sex-matched

healthy controls; 15 healthy subjects for the reproducibility part of

the study.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PFgrip and the decline in PFgrip were compared by

using a digital handgrip dynamometer. Two-point and lateral pinch

measurements of subjects with HMSN were standardized against reference

values. Reproducibility measurements were performed on 15 healthy

subjects on 2 separate occasions within a 1-week interval.

RESULTS: PFgrip was significantly lower in the HMSN subjects compared

with controls

(P<.05). Pinch measurements also showed a large variance from average

normal performance. No significant difference was found in the decline

in percentage of PFgrip. Reproducibility was excellent for PFgrip

(intraclass correlation coefficient [iCC]=.98; 95% confidence interval

[CI],.95-.99) but poor for fatigue (ICC=.62; 95% CI,.20-.85).

CONCLUSION: PFgrip and 2-point and lateral pinch in HMSN subjects were

significantly reduced compared with healthy controls. Our findings

indicated that the rate of decline of PFgrip during effort does not vary

between groups.