Precision pinch performance in patients with sensory deficits of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel.
To investigate how sensory symptoms impact the motor control of hands, in this study we examined the differences in conventional sensibility assessments and pinch force control in the pinch-holding-up activity (PHUA) test between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients and healthy controls. CTS patients (n = 82) with 122 affected hands and an equal number of control subjects were recruited to participate in the threshold, discrimination, and PHUA tests. The patients showed significantly poorer hand sensibility and lower efficiency of force adjustment in the PHUA test as compared with the control subjects. Baseline pinch strength and the percentage of maximal pinch strength for the PHUA were significantly higher for the subgroup of sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) of <16 μV than for the subgroup of SNAP of 16 μV. Using a PHUA perspective to analyze the efficiency of force-adjustment could assist the clinical detection of sensory nerve dysfunction.
Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
Wei-Jang
WJ
Yen
Yao-Lung
YL
Kuo
Li-Chieh
LC
Kuo
Shu-Min
SM
Chen
Ta-Shen
TS
Kuan
Hsiu-Yun
HY
Hsu
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018953:Kinesiology, Applied / Q000295:instrumentation; D017770:Lifting; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D052581:Pinch Strength / Q000502:physiology*