title: Effects of a new sensory re-education training tool on hand sensibility and manual dexterity in people with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and evaluate the effects of a new home-based sensory re-education training tool on hand sensibility and manual dexterity in people with MS experiencing upper limb sensory deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five people with relapsing-remitting MS (18 women), mean age 50.6 years (SD = 11.4), volunteered to participate. Participants were initially assigned to a 7-week control phase followed by a 3-week home-based sensory re-education phase. Measurements used were the nine-hole peg test, the two point discrimination test, the monofilaments test and the functional dexterity test. Measurements were collected at baseline, following the control phase and at the end of the trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants demonstrated an improvement in the nine-hole peg (26.8 (SD = 3.5) vs. 22.6 (SD = 3.2); mean difference (95% CI) 4.9 (0.9, 7.1), P = 0.03) and functional dexterity tests (38.6 (SD = 4.4) vs. 33.8 (SD = 4.9); mean difference (95% CI) 4.8 (1.8, 7.0); P = 0.02) at the end of the sensory re-education phase compared to the end of the control phase. No differences were observed as to the monofilaments and two-point discrimination tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sensory re-education training does not affect the level of sensory impairment in the hand but may lead to improvement in select measures of manual dexterity.
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel - Hashomer, Israel. alkalron@gmail.com
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalron
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greenberg-Abrahami
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gelav
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Achiron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D014110:Touch; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult