Hand strength and fatigue in patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (types I and II).
OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
PFgrip and the decline in PFgrip during 3 sets of 15 contractions were compared.


METHODS
University hospital in The Netherlands.


METHODS
Twenty subjects with HMSN and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls; 15 healthy subjects for the reproducibility part of the study.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Videler
Annemieke J
AJ
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. annemieke@videler.nl
Beelen
Anita
A
Aufdemkampe
Geert
G
de Groot
Imelda J
IJ
Van Leemputte
Marc
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D015417:Hereditary Sensory and Motor Neuropathy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric