title: Assessment of grip strength with the modified sphygmomanometer test: association between upper limb global strength and motor function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Grip strength, commonly evaluated with the handgrip dynamometer, is a good indicator of upper limb (UL) function in stroke subjects and may reflect the global strength deficits of the whole paretic UL. The Modified Sphygmomanometer Test (MST) also provides objective and adequate measures at low-cost.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether grip strength values obtained by using the MST and those obtained by using a handgrip dynamometer would present similar correlations with the global strength and motor function of the paretic UL in subjects with stroke, both in the subacute and chronic phases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures of grip strength (MST and handgrip dynamometer), UL global strength (MST and hand-held dynamometer), and UL motor function (Fugl-Meyer motor assessment scale) were obtained with 33 subacute and 44 chronic stroke subjects. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated and Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate predictor variables of grip strength (α=0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlations of similar magnitude were found between measures of global strength of the paretic UL and grip strength assessed with both the MST (0.66≤r≤0.78) and handgrip dynamometer (0.66≤r≤0.78) and between UL motor function and grip strength assessed with both the MST (0.50≤rs≤0.51) and hand-held dynamometer (0.50≤rs≤0.63) in subacute and chronic stroke subjects. Only global strength remained as a significant predictor variable of grip strength for the MST (0.43≤R2≤0.61) and for the handgrip dynamometer (0.44≤R2≤0.61) for both stroke subgroups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Grip strength assessed with the MST could be used to report paretic UL global strength.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Júlia C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Larissa T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliza M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luci F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Salmela
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Christina D C M
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Faria
mesh_terms: D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D019722:Sphygmomanometers / Q000592:standards*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*