The 9-hole PEG test of upper extremity function: average values, test-retest reliability, and factors contributing...

Pegboard tests of hand dexterity are commonly used in clinical settings to assess upper extremity function in various populations. For individuals with Parkinson disease (PD), the clinical utility of pegboard tests has not been fully evaluated. Our purpose was to examine the commercially available 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) using a large sample of individuals with PD to determine average values, test-retest reliability, and factors predictive of 9HPT performance.

A total of 262 participants with PD (67% men, Hoehn & Yahr stage = 2.3 ± 0.7) completed the 9HPT along with a battery of other tests including the Movement Disorder Society Unified PD Rating Scale-Motor Subscale III and Freezing of Gait Questionnaire.

Average time to complete the 9HPT was 31.4 ± 15.7 s with the dominant and 32.2 ± 12.4 s with the nondominant hand. Test-retest reliability of 2 trials performed with the same hand was high (dominant ICC2,1 = 0.88, nondominant ICC2,1 = 0.91). Women performed the test significantly faster than men, and nonfreezers significantly faster than freezers. For either hand, age, bradykinesia, and freezing of gait scores individually predicted significant portions of the variance in 9HPT time. Sex also was a significant predictor, but for the nondominant hand only. Tremor and rigidity did not predict performance.

The 9HPT appears to be a clinically useful measure for assessing upper extremity function in individuals with PD. The 9HPT has advantages over previously used methods including standardization, known normative values for healthy controls, commercial availability, transportability, and ease of administration.