Relationships between electronic handgrip dynamometer derived muscle function and Purdue Pegboard performance

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the relationships of electronic handgrip dynamometer and accelerometer derived maximal handgrip strength (HGS), sub-maximal control, and neuromuscular steadiness on Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) performance in older adults.

Methods: The analytic sample included 30 generally healthy community-dwelling older adults (age 72.4±5.3). Participants squeezed the handgrip dynamometer with maximal effort on each hand to determine strength capacity. A 25% sub-maximal target was calculated from maximal HGS, and participants were asked to maintain this target for 10-seconds for sub-maximal control. The accelerometer, which was placed on top of the handgrip dynamometer, quantified neuromuscular steadiness. Standard protocols were used for PPT. A series of Pearson correlations were used for the analyses.

Results: Right HGS was weakly, negatively, and insignificantly correlated with PPT performance (r=-0.20; p=0.28), while left HGS was negligibly correlated with PPT performance (r=0.02; p=0.28). Sub-maximal control showed a downward, but insignificant weak trend with PPT performance on the right (r=-0.22; p=0.09) and left hands (r=-0.30; p=0.09). Further, neuromuscular steadiness was negligibly correlated with PPT performance on the right (r=-0.01; p=0.94) and left hands (r=0.14; p=0.43).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a signal may exist between sub-maximal control and PPT performance. Sub-maximal control may serve as a screening tool for examining neuromuscular functioning and fine motor skills. Such a tool may help in occupational therapy (OT) testing and appropriate referral to intervention, which in turn, may help our rapidly growing older adult population extend quality of life and independent living.