Correlation between patient-reported manual ability and three objective measures of upper limb function in people...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Upper limb (UL) dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Objective measures like the Nine Hole Peg Test (9-HPT), Box and Block Test (BBT), and Hand Grip Strength (HGS) are used for assessment.
• Subjective patient perspectives are crucial for a comprehensive evaluation of UL function in MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between the Manual Ability Measure-36 (MAM-36) and objective UL function tests (9-HPT, BBT, HGS) in people with MS (PwMS).
• To determine how disease characteristics (EDSS, MS type) influence these associations.
• To identify the optimal combination of objective measures for predicting perceived UL function.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study conducted across five Italian centers.
• Inclusion criteria: age ≥ 18, MS diagnosis, stable disease course.
• Exclusion criteria: bilateral UL paralysis, other neurological/orthopedic conditions.

Main Results:

• 199 PwMS included (mean age 50.7 years, 119 female, 119 RRMS).
• Small to moderate correlations were found between MAM-36 and 9-HPT, BBT, and HGS.
• The combination of 9-HPT and HGS showed the strongest predictive power for MAM-36 scores.

Conclusions:

• Objective UL measures do not fully align with PwMS' self-reported manual ability.
• The combination of 9-HPT and HGS offers a more robust assessment of UL function in daily activities for MS patients.
• Integrating subjective and objective measures enhances the evaluation of UL function in MS.