Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an incurable progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive motor function loss with spasticity, muscle weakness, atrophy and hypo- or hyperreflexia. It largely affects the function of the upper limb.
Purpose: We aimed to determine whether patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have a decreased muscle strength of cylindrical hand grip and pincer grasp in comparison to healthy individuals. We were also interested in whether patients with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis are more susceptible to performance fatigue at performing ten repetitions of the nine-hole peg test, and if performance fatigue and decreased muscle strength show a
significant correlation. Methods: The study included 24 adult patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 15 healthy individuals with similar demographics. Each of them
performed cylindrical hand grip and pincer grasp strength testing, followed by ten continuous repetitions of the nine-hole peg test. Results: We found a significantly decreased
muscle strength of both grips and significantly longer absolute durations of the nine-hole peg test at patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Additionally, we found a correlation between performance fatigue and a decreased muscle strength. Discussion and conclusion:
Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have a decreased grip strength and are more susceptible to performance fatigue than healthy individuals. Both impact the quality of
patient’s life significantly; therefore, future researches should focus on their influence and management and we should also consider them at planning the physiotherapy treatment.
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