title: Rehabilitation outcome of upper extremity skilled performance in persons with cervical spinal cord injuries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate changes in arm hand skilled performance during and after active rehabilitation in (sub)groups of subjects with cervical spinal cord injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal multi-centre cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Persons with cervical spinal cord injuries during (n?=?57) and after (n?=?35) rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients from 8 Dutch rehabilitation centres received therapy as usual. At 3 time-points during active rehabilitation and one year after discharge arm hand skilled performance was measured using the Van Lieshout hand function test, the Grasp Release Test (for basic activities) and the Functional Independence Measure and the Quadriplegia Index of Function (for complex activities).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arm hand skilled performance continues to improve over the entire rehabilitation period, mostly in the first stage of active rehabilitation, and especially in persons with a motor incomplete lesion. Persons with a motor incomplete lesion achieve higher arm hand skilled performance outcome than those with a motor complete lesion. After rehabilitation arm hand skilled performance does not decline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monitoring the outcome of arm hand skilled performance at the level of basic and complex activities during the whole rehabilitation phase may guide therapists in further optimizing therapy.
authors.affiliation: PHL University College, Department of Health Care, Hasselt, Belgium. aspooren@mail.phl.be
authors.forename: Annemie I F
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Spooren
authors.forename: Yvonne J M
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Janssen-Potten
authors.forename: Govert J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Snoek
authors.forename: Maarten J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ijzerman
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kerckhofs
authors.forename: Henk A M
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Seelen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*