title: Utilization of a novel digital measurement tool for quantitative assessment of upper extremity motor dexterity: a controlled pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current methods of assessing motor function rely primarily on the clinician's judgment of the patient's physical examination and the patient's self-administered surveys. Recently, computerized handgrip tools have been designed as an objective method to quantify upper-extremity motor function. This pilot study explores the use of the MediSens handgrip as a potential clinical tool for objectively assessing the motor function of the hand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) were followed for three months. Eighteen age-matched healthy participants were followed for two months. The neuromotor function and the patient-perceived motor function of these patients were assessed with the MediSens device and the Oswestry Disability Index respectively. The MediSens device utilized a target tracking test to investigate the neuromotor capacity of the participants. The mean absolute error (MAE) between the target curve and the curve tracing achieved by the participants was used as the assessment metric. The patients' adjusted MediSens MAE scores were then compared to the controls. The CSM patients were further classified as either "functional" or "nonfunctional" in order to validate the system's responsiveness. Finally, the correlation between the MediSens MAE score and the ODI score was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The control participants had lower MediSens MAE scores of 8.09%±1.60%, while the cervical spinal disorder patients had greater MediSens MAE scores of 11.24%±6.29%. Following surgery, the functional CSM patients had an average MediSens MAE score of 7.13%±1.60%, while the nonfunctional CSM patients had an average score of 12.41%±6.32%. The MediSens MAE and the ODI scores showed a statistically significant correlation (r=-0.341, p<1.14×10⁻⁵). A Bland-Altman plot was then used to validate the agreement between the two scores. Furthermore, the percentage improvement of the the two scores after receiving the surgical intervention showed a significant correlation (r=-0.723, p<0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MediSens handgrip device is capable of identifying patients with impaired motor function of the hand. The MediSens handgrip scores correlate with the ODI scores and may serve as an objective alternative for assessing motor function of the hand.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Getachew
authors.forename: Sunghoon I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jon A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kimball
authors.forename: Andrew Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Yew
authors.forename: Derek S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jordan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Garst
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghalehsari
authors.forename: Brian H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Paak
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Razaghy
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Espinal
authors.forename: Arsha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ostowari
authors.forename: Amir A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ghavamrezaii
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pourtaheri
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarrafzadeh
authors.affiliation: Neuroplasticity and Repair Laboratory, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA. dclu@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*