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Updated: Sep 21, 2025
Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Published on: January 12, 2019
Seated Outcome Measures in Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Rebecca Kern1, Kimberly Carvell, Apeksha Gupta
1Department of Rehabilitation and Neurosciences (Drs Kern, Carvell, and Verma), Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; Student Support Programs and Services (Dr Kern), Pasco County Schools, Land O' Lakes, Florida; Personalized Medicine Initiative and Health Outcomes (Ms Gupta), Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida; Department of Pediatrics and Neurology (Dr Verma), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Seated strength tests using hand-held dynamometry (HHD) and functional independence measures are feasible for assessing Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in boys. These measures correlate with age, aiding in disease severity assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) requires reliable measures for disease progression tracking.
- Current assessments may not fully capture functional status across the DMD continuum.
- Objective and subjective measures are needed to monitor motor strength and functional independence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of seated trunk strength assessment using hand-held dynamometry (HHD) in boys with DMD.
- To assess caregiver-reported functional independence using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI).
- To explore the relationship between seated measures, functional independence, and participant age.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study involving 18 participants with DMD.
- Data collection included hand-held dynamometry (HHD) for seated strength, seated reach distance test, and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI).
- Assessments were conducted during routine clinical visits.
Main Results:
- All participants, irrespective of walking status, successfully completed the seated function tests, confirming feasibility.
- Age showed a negative correlation with PEDI mobility scores and a positive correlation with HHD extension scores.
- No statistically significant correlation was found between seated measures and PEDI mobility scores.
Conclusions:
- Seated motor strength assessments via HHD and PEDI mobility scores are feasible for evaluating boys with DMD.
- Both PEDI mobility and HHD extension scores demonstrate a correlation with participant age.
- Future research should address limitations such as single-center data and the cross-sectional design.
