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Manual Tactile Test Predicts Sensorimotor Control Capability of Hands for Patients With Peripheral Nerve Injury
Hsiu-Yun Hsu1, Shyh-Jou Shieh2, Ta-Shen Kuan3
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Objectives:
To comprehend the merits of a Manual Tactile Test (MTT) in assessing hand sensorimotor functions by exploring the relations among 3 subtests along with the precision pinch performances for patients with peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs); and to understand the accuracy of the MTT by constructing the sensitivity and specificity of the test for patients with PNI.
Design:
Case-control study.
Setting:
Hospital and local community.
Participants:
Patients with PNI (n=28) were recruited along with age-, sex-, and handedness-matched healthy controls (n=28) (N=56).
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
The Semmes-Weinstein monofilament, moving and static 2-point discrimination, roughness differentiation, stereognosis and barognosis subtests of the MTT, and precision pinch performance were used to examine the sensory and sensorimotor status of the hand.
Results:
The worst results in all sensibility tests were found for the patients with PNI (P<.001) in comparison with the controls. Multiple linear regression analysis showed the MTT was a better indicator for predicting the sensorimotor capacity of hands in the patients with PNI (r(2)=.189, P=.003) than the traditional test (r(2)=.088, P=.051). The results of the receiver operating characteristic curve estimation show that the area under the curve was .968 and .959 for the roughness differentiation and stereognosis subtests, respectively, and .853 for the barognosis subtest, therefore revealing the accuracy of the MTT in assessing sensorimotor status for patients with PNI.
Conclusions:
This study indicates that the MTT is highly accurate and a significant predictor of sensorimotor performance in hands of patients with PNI. The MTT could therefore help clinicians obtain a better understanding of the sensorimotor and functional status of the hand with nerve injuries.
