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Timing rehabilitation according to chronotype: An overlooked variable?
Aslı Çalışkan Uçkun1, Özlem Yener2, Ömer Faruk Demir3
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, İzmir City Hospital, Izmir, Türkiye.
Chronobiology International
|February 19, 2026
Summary
Patient chronotype influences hand injury rehabilitation. Morning and intermediate types performed better on functional tests in the morning, while evening types showed higher pain in the afternoon. Scheduling therapy around chronotype may improve outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Chronobiology
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Hand injuries significantly impair function, with patient engagement critical for rehabilitation success.
- Chronotype, an individual's natural daily activity preference, affects physical and cognitive performance but its role in hand rehabilitation is understudied.
- Understanding chronotype's impact can optimize rehabilitation timing and patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if functional performance, pain, edema, and participation in hand rehabilitation vary between morning and afternoon sessions based on patient chronotype.
- To explore the relationship between chronotype and specific outcome measures following hand injury.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study of 46 patients undergoing hand rehabilitation.
- Chronotype assessed via Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire.
- Patients attended two sessions (morning/afternoon) with measurements including grip strength, Nine-Hole Peg Test (NHPT), pain (VAS), edema, and participation (physiotherapist-rated VAS).
Main Results:
- Morning and intermediate chronotypes showed significantly better NHPT performance in morning sessions (p < 0.05).
- Intermediate and evening chronotypes reported significantly higher pain VAS scores in afternoon sessions (p < 0.01).
- No significant chronotype differences observed for grip strength, edema, or participation.
Conclusions:
- Chronotype may influence functional performance and pain perception during hand rehabilitation.
- Aligning rehabilitation session timing with a patient's chronotype could potentially enhance functional recovery.
- Further research with larger samples and longer follow-up is needed to confirm these findings and explore cognitive impacts.
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