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Measurement of the handcoordination
P H Verkerk1, J P Schouten, H J Oosterhuis
1Department of Neurology, Academic Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Simple hand coordination tests, the spiral test and nail test, show good validity for diagnosing coordination disorders. The spiral test is more accurate for Parkinson
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Movement Science
- Diagnostic Tools
Background:
- Coordination disorders significantly impact daily activities and quality of life.
- Objective and reproducible tests are needed to supplement clinical judgment in diagnosing hand coordination impairments.
- The spiral test and nail test are simple bedside tests for assessing hand coordination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity and reproducibility of the spiral test and nail test.
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of these tests in healthy individuals and patients with neurological disorders.
- To establish reference values for these tests in different age groups and genders.
Main Methods:
- 113 healthy subjects, 33 Parkinson's disease patients, and 24 cerebellar disorder patients performed the spiral test and nail test.
- Performance metrics included speed, accuracy, and error rates.
- Statistical analysis was used to determine sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.
Main Results:
- Healthy subjects' performance declined with age, with no gender influence; dominant hands performed better.
- At 90% specificity, sensitivity was ~70% for the nail test and ~75% for the spiral test.
- The spiral test demonstrated higher accuracy than the nail test in Parkinson's disease patients.
Conclusions:
- The spiral test and nail test are valid and reproducible tools for assessing hand coordination.
- These tests can aid in the diagnosis of coordination disorders, particularly when reference values are considered.
- They offer a more objective measure of disease progression compared to clinical assessment alone.