Test-Retest Reliability and Preliminary Reference Data for the Virtual Eggs Test in Healthy Adults

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human Motor Control

Background:

• Hand assessment is crucial for rehabilitation professionals to guide therapy and track patient recovery.
• The Virtual Eggs Test (VET) assesses fine and gross hand dexterity, incorporating speed and grip force accuracy.
• Previous VET validation identified areas for protocol improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an updated protocol and outcome measures (Fine Dexterity Index - FDI, Gross Dexterity Index - GDI) for the Virtual Eggs Test (VET).
• To collect normative data and evaluate the test-retest reliability of the updated VET in healthy individuals.
• To establish the VET's utility in evaluating hand function over time.

Main Methods:

• A clinical trial was conducted with 79 healthy participants, stratified by age.
• Participants underwent repeated VET assessments to evaluate test-retest reliability.
• Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for FDI and GDI.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between test and retest for both FDI and GDI.
• FDI demonstrated excellent reliability (ICCs 0.90-0.91).
• GDI showed moderate reliability (ICCs 0.63-0.64).

Conclusions:

• The updated VET protocol and its outcome measures (FDI and GDI) are reliable for assessing hand function over time.
• The VET is particularly effective for evaluating hand function in tasks requiring delicate object manipulation.
• The VET provides a reliable tool for monitoring hand recovery in clinical rehabilitation settings.