Changes in sensory function and force production in adults with type II diabetes.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship among sensory function, disease severity, and upper extremity force production in adults with type II diabetes (T2D) as compared with healthy age- and gender-matched controls.


METHODS
Ten adults with T2D and 10 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects underwent a battery of sensory and motor function evaluations. Data on disease severity and duration were also collected.


RESULTS
The T2D group exhibited sensory deficits and altered force production as compared with healthy controls. Sensory function correlated with disease severity, as did signal predictability of kinetic output during submaximal force production tasks. Maximal force production tasks were associated with altered output in T2D, but these data did not correlate with disease severity or sensory dysfunction.


CONCLUSIONS
Some, not all, motor performance deficits in T2D are associated with sensory dysfunction. Mechanisms responsible for these changes in adult-onset T2D are described.
Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, 3855 Holman Street, Garrison 104U, Houston, Texas, 77204, USA; Center for Neuromotor and Biomechanics Research, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Nereyda
N
Ochoa
Stacey L
SL
Gorniak
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology
grip force; hand function; neuropathy; sensory; type II diabetes