title: Relationship between muscle strength and motor function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between muscle strength and motor function and between these variables and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Muscle strength was measured by Medical Research Council (MRC) scale and motor function, by Motor Function Measure (MFM), in 40 non-ambulatory patients. Spearman tests investigated the relationships between muscle strength, motor function and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total MRC and MFM scores were strongly related to each other (r = 0.94; p < 0.001), but not to age (r = -0.19, r = -0.31, respectively; p > 0.05). Strong and moderate relationships between partial muscle strength and motor function scores were found. Higher correlation coefficients were found between total scores and Dimensions 2 (axial/ proximal control) and 3 (distal control) of MFM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Muscle strength and motor function are strongly correlated and seem to decrease proportionally in DMD.
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
authors.forename: Milene F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
authors.forename: Michele E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hukuda
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Francis M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Favero
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Acary B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
authors.forename: Mariana C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Voos
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
authors.forename: Fátima A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Caromano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult