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Biomedical subjects

S K Lo

Publications and source records attributed to S K Lo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

The development and evaluation of a measure to assess cancer survivors' unmet supportive care needs: the CaSUN (Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs measure).

BACKGROUND: Many cancer survivors experience ongoing morbidity over the survivorship continuum and their supportive care needs have yet to be comprehensively assessed. METHODS: This study aimed to develop and empirically evaluate a self-report measure of cancer survivors' supportive care needs. In Phase I, questionnaire items were generated based upon previous qualitative research that identified both unique and shared needs in survivors and their partners; items were constructed into the Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs measure (CaSUN). In Phase 2, the CaSUN was completed by 353 cancer survivors who had been diagnosed with cancer between 1 and 15 years earlier and were currently disease-free. RESULTS: After modification, the CaSUN included 35 unmet need items, 6 positive change items and an open-ended question. Good acceptability, internal consistency and validity were demonstrated, although test-retest reliability was low. Maximum likelihood factor analysis identified five discrete factors: Existential Survivorship, Comprehensive Care, Information, Quality of Life and Relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data indicates that the CaSUN meets the majority of psychometric criteria for assessment measures, although its low test-retest reliability awaits further investigation. The CaSUN will facilitate the evaluation of supportive care services and generation of service delivery recommendations for cancer survivors.

Adult↗
PubMed2007

Assessing unmet supportive care needs in partners of cancer survivors: the development and evaluation of the Cancer Survivors' Partners Unmet Needs measure (CaSPUN).

BACKGROUND: Partners of cancer patients typically provide the majority of patients' emotional and physical care. Partners may be profoundly affected by the cancer and may experience ongoing supportive care needs across the survivorship continuum. Research has been restricted by a lack of psychometrically evaluated measures and in this study, a self-report measure of partners' needs was developed and empirically evaluated. METHODS: Questionnaire items generated from a qualitative study were constructed into a 47- item unmet need measure (Cancer Survivors' Partners Unmet Needs measure, CaSPUN). The psychometric properties of the CaSPUN were evaluated in 212 partners of patients who had been diagnosed with cancer 1-11 years earlier and were currently disease-free. RESULTS: The CaSPUN was modified to include 35 unmet need items, 6 positive change items and an open ended item. The CaSPUN demonstrates a high level of acceptability, internal consistency and construct validity, although test-retest reliability was moderate. Factor analysis identified five discrete factors: (1) Relationships, (2) Information, (3) Partner Issues, (4) Comprehensive Care and (5) Emotional Support. CONCLUSIONS: The CaSPUN permits the identification of long-term supportive care needs in generic populations of cancer survivors' partners and will assist with the formulation of recommendations regarding required supportive care services.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The current pattern of hepatitis B virus infection in Australia.

There is little recent data of the seroprevalence of hepatitis B in Australia. We have surveyed a large cohort of endoscopy patients attending a teaching hospital in central Sydney, and related the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers with putative risk factors for exposure using the SAS statistical package. Of the 2115 patients tested: 2.1% (45/2115) were HBV surface antigen positive, 0.75% (14/2115) viraemic, 9.5% (200/2115) anti-HBs and anti-HBc positive, 20.1% (430/2115) vaccinated (anti-HBs only) and the remaining 70% were susceptible. The adjusted OR of HBV infection was significantly increased in patients who had been diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (36.3-fold), born in Asia or Pacific islands (12.4-fold), born in North Africa, Middle East & Mediterranean countries (6-fold) or born abroad elsewhere in the world (2.7-fold), had household contact with someone diagnosed with hepatitis between 1980 and 1990 (3.9-fold), injected drugs between 1980 and 1990 (4.4-fold), resided in a military establishment for 3 months (2.3-fold) or in a hospital for 3 months (2.2-fold), never been vaccinated for hepatitis B (2.8-fold), received blood transfusion due to an accident and/or a haemorrhage (1.92-fold) and finally been a male gender (1.59-fold). The prevalence of HBV in this hospital population was higher than predicted on the basis of notifications to the passive surveillance scheme. Most HBV patients had multiple risk factors for infection, but the hierarchy of odds ratios provides a rational basis for targeted programmes to identify asymptomatic HBV carriers who might benefit from treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Construct validity of the Chinese version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (DASH-HKPWH).

The study evaluated the construct validity of the Chinese Hong Kong version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (DASH-HKPWH). Three hundred and thirty four patients with a broad range of upper extremity disorders were recruited into the study. Each completed DASH-HKPWH and SF-36 forms and their pain intensity (numeric pain rating scale) and grip strength were also measured. The mean DASH-HKPWH score was 40 (SD=20). Principal component factor analysis identified a single factor, which accounted for 47% of the total variance. Pearson correlation was applied to assess convergent and divergent validity of the DASH-HKPWH by comparison with the above-mentioned subjective and objective measurements. Our findings were comparable to the DASH of other languages.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Single vs. two steroid injections for carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomised clinical trial.

We investigated the efficacy of a single vs. double steroid injections in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a randomised double-blind controlled trial. Patients with idiopathic CTS were randomised into (i) one group receiving a baseline methylprednisolone acetate injection plus a saline injection 8 weeks later and (ii) a second group receiving methylprednisolone acetate injection at baseline and at 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the Global Symptom Score (GSS). Forty patients were recruited. By 40 weeks, the mean GSS improved from 25.6 to 14.1 in the single-injection group whereas from 26.7 to 12.6 in the reinjection group, but there was no significant difference in GSS between the two groups (p = 0.26). There were also no significant differences in terms of electrophysiological and functional outcomes. The results suggest that an additional steroid injection confers no added benefit to a single injection in terms of symptom relief.

Analgesia↗
PubMed2004

Helmets for preventing injury in motorcycle riders.

BACKGROUND: Motorcycle crash victims form a high proportion of those killed or injured in road traffic accidents. Injuries to the head, following motorcycle crashes, are a common cause of severe morbidity and mortality. It seems intuitive that helmets should protect against head injuries but it has been argued that motorcycle helmet use decreases rider vision and increases neck injuries. This review will collate the current available evidence on helmets and their impact on mortality, and head, face and neck injuries following motorcycle crashes. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the effectiveness of wearing a motorcycle helmet in reducing mortality and head and neck injury following motorcycle crashes. SEARCH STRATEGY: Databases including the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library issue 1, 2003), MEDLINE (January 1966 to February 2003), EMBASE (January 1985 to February 2003), CINAHL (January 1982 to February 2003), IRRD (International Road Research Documentation), TRANSDOC, TRIS (Transport Research Information Service), ATRI (Australian Transport Index) (1976 to Feb 2003), Science Citation Index were searched for relevant articles. Web sites of traffic and road accident research bodies including government agencies were also searched. Reference lists from topic reviews, identified studies and bibliographies were examined for relevant articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: We considered for inclusion studies that investigated a population of motorcycle riders who had crashed, examining helmet use as an intervention and with outcomes that included one or more of the following: death, head, neck or facial injury. Studies included any that compared an intervention and control group and, therefore, included any randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials, cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies. Ecological and case series studies were excluded. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently screened reference lists for eligible articles. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for inclusion criteria. Data were abstracted by two independent reviewers using a standard abstraction form. MAIN RESULTS: Fifty-three observational studies were identified of varying quality. Despite methodological differences there was a remarkable consistency in results, particularly for mortality and head injury outcomes. Motorcycle helmets appear to reduce the risk of mortality although, due to heterogeneity in study design, an overall estimate of effect was not calculated. There was some evidence that the effect of helmets on mortality is modified by speed. Motorcycle helmets were found to reduce the risk of head injury and from five well-conducted studies the risk reduction is estimated to be 72% (OR 0.28, 95%CI 0.23, 0.35). Insufficient evidence was found to estimate the effect of motorcycle helmets compared with no helmet on facial or neck injuries. However, studies of poorer quality suggest that helmets have no effect on the risk of neck injuries and are protective for facial injury. There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate whether differences in helmet type confer more or less advantage in injury reduction. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: Motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of mortality and head injury in motorcycle riders who crash, although the former effect may be modified by other crash factors such as speed. Further well-conducted research is required to determine the effects of helmets and different helmet types on mortality, head, neck and facial injuries. However, the findings suggest that global efforts to reduce road traffic injuries may be facilitated by increasing helmet use by motorcyclists.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2004

Analysis of 1,2(2,3)- and 1,3-positional isomers of diacylglycerols from vegetable oils by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Separation of 1,2(2,3)- and 1,3-positional isomers of diacylglycerols (DAG) from vegetable oils by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) is investigated. The method is based on isocratic elution using 100% acetonitrile and UV detection at 205 nm. The following elution order of DAG molecular species is identified: 1,3-dilinolein < 1,2-dilinolein < 1,3-dimyristin < 1-oleoyl-3-linoleoyl-glycerol < 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycerol < 1(2)-oleoyl-2(3)-linoleoyl-glycerol < 1-linolenoyl-3-stearoyl-glycerol < 1(2)-linolenoyl-2(3)-stearoyl-glycerol < 1,3-diolein < 1-palmitoyl-3-oleoyl-glycerol < 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol < 1(2)-palmitoyl-2(3)-oleoyl-glycerol < 1-linoleoyl-3-stearoyl-glycerol < 1,3-dipalmitin < 1(2)-linoleoyl-2(3)-stearoyl-glycerol < 1-oleoyl-3-stearoyl-glycerol < 1,2-dipalmitoyl-rac-glycerol < 1-palmitoyl-3-stearoyl-sn-glycerol < 1,3-distearin < 1,2-distearoyl-rac-glycerol. Linearity is observed over three orders of magnitude. Limits of detection and quantitation range 0.2-0.7 microg/mL for 1,3-dilinolein to 0.6-1.9 microg/mL for 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol, respectively. Precision and accuracy of the method are also demonstrated. The method is developed to separate mixtures of DAG molecular species produced from edible oils.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed2003

A comparison of four functional tests in discriminating fallers from non-fallers in older people.

PURPOSE: Which functional tests on mobility and balance can better screen older people at risk of falls is unclear. This study aims to compare the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Tinetti Mobility Score (TMS), Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS) and Timed Up and Go test (TUG) in discriminating fallers from non-fallers in older people. METHOD: This was a case-control study involving one rater who conducted a mobility and balance assessment on subjects using the four functional tests in random sequence. Subjects recruited included 17 and 22 older people with a history of single and multiple falls respectively from a public Falls Clinic, and 39 community-dwellers without fall history and whose age, sex and BMI matched those of the fallers. All subjects underwent the mobility and balance assessment within one day. RESULTS: Single fallers performed better than multiple fallers in all four functional tests but were worse than non-fallers in the BBS, TMS and TUG. The BBS demonstrated the best discriminating ability, with high sensitivity and specificity. The BBS item 'pick up an object from the floor' was the best at screening fallers. CONCLUSION: BBS was the most powerful functional test of the four in discriminating fallers from non-faller.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2002

Environmental risk factors of young onset Parkinson's disease: a case-control study.

While the cause of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unknown, recent evidence suggests certain environmental factors, such as well water drinking, herbicides and pesticides exposure, and neurotoxins, may trigger the chain of oxidative reactions culminating in the death of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra to cause parkinsonism. Most studies to date focused on PD with old age onset. However, there is a peculiar group of parkinsonian patients, the young onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD), in whom the age of onset is before 40. It is intriguing to know whether earlier exposure to the putative neurotoxin(s) may contribute to the earlier onset. We therefore conducted this case-control study in which 60 PD patients, 30 YOPD patients and the same number of age- and sex-matched young controls were included. Using logistic regression, we found well water drinking and head injury were risk factors for the development of YOPD. When YOPD patients were compared with PD, we found head injury and exercise were the significant predictors. Keeping all other variables constant, head injury was a risk factor and exercise appeared to be a protective factor. We conclude early exposure to well water drinking and head trauma may trigger and expedite the appearance of parkinsonian features, but such acceleration may be prevented through regular exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Interrelationships between anxiety, lifestyle self-reports and fitness in a sample of Hong Kong University students.

Although anxiety in university students has been well documented, the influence of lifestyle and fitness status in relation to anxiety has not been investigated from a cultural perspective previously. To make recommendations regarding the avoidance or management of anxiety in this anxiety-prone cohort that are rationally based, this preliminary investigation examined the interrelationship between anxiety, lifestyle self-reports and aerobic fitness in Hong Kong Chinese University students. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y-2) and a lifestyle questionnaire were completed by 213 students. Female students were more anxious than male students. Subjects with high anxiety reported more deleterious lifestyle behaviours including higher salt consumption and lower levels of exercise; in addition to more frequent symptoms of anxiety such as headaches and daytime somnolence. The extremes of this sample were stratified into a low anxiety group (n = 17) and a high anxiety group (n = 14) to compare their fitness status. Although both groups had below normal aerobic capacity, the higher systolic blood pressure observed for the high anxiety group is consistent with signs of anxiety, or greater deconditioning in this group or both. The results of this study have highlighted anxiety as a concern in Hong Kong University students and identified some lifestyle and fitness correlates. Understanding lifestyle and pathophysiological correlates of anxiety in Hong Kong University students that may have a cultural basis, is a crucial step toward averting or managing anxiety when these students are studying either in Hong Kong or abroad.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Clinical measurement of muscle tone using a velocity-corrected modified Ashworth scale.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a new form of the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) for muscle-tone assessment that combines the MAS score with the passive muscle-stretching velocity during the assessment of muscle tone, resulting in a measure that has higher intertester reliability than the MAS. DESIGN: Twenty-two volunteer subjects with spinal cord injuries at a tertiary care outpatient and inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation center affiliated with a university were recruited for this study. RESULTS: A decision tree in which V-MAS scores were obtained was developed. The data obtained from three independent raters, when adjusted by means of the V-MAS, showed an excellent interrater reliability. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that the V-MAS is a more reliable measure. In addition, the resulting units of the V-MAS, ranging from 0 to 1, are of the same form as pendulum test data. The V-MAS method is quite simple to use because the rater need only measure the angular range and duration of the passive movement to calculate average velocity during the MAS assessment in addition to the normal MAS rating of muscle tone.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Changes in bacterial concentration in the liver correlate with that in the hepaticojejunostomy after bile duct reconstruction: implication in the pathogenesis of postoperative cholangitis.

Postoperative cholangitis is a frequent and unpredictable complication of unknown etiology following bile duct reconstruction (BDR), particularly for biliary atresia. This study was undertaken to correlate the growth of bacteria in the hepaticojejunostomy with that in the liver after BDR. Quantitative bacterial culture was done on the specimens taken from the liver and from the hepaticojejunostomy at 1 week (group 1, n = 7), 1 month (group 2, n = 7), and 2 months (group 3, n = 7) following BDR with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy in piglets after 2 weeks of common bile duct ligation. The histological examination of the liver and the hepaticojejunostomy, as well as serial monitoring of hemogram and liver function tests, were performed to correlate the findings with the bacterial concentration of the liver and the hepaticojejunostomy following BDR. The bacterial concentration of the hepaticojejunostomy, expressed as log10 colony-forming units per gram (log10 CFU/g) of the hepaticojejunostomy, showed a progressive decrease from 8.38 +/- 1.36 in group 1, 7.07 +/- 2.54 in group 2, to 3.56 +/- 1.31 in group 3 (p = 0.001). The log10 CFU/g of the liver also showed a progressive decrease from 5.02 +/- 1.59 in group 1, 3.16 +/- 1.56 in group 2, to 2.19 +/- 1.09 in group 3 (p = 0.006). There was a significant positive correlation of the log10 CFU/g of the liver (n = 21) with that of the hepaticojejunostomy (n = 21) following BDR (r = 0.600, p = 0.004). Most of the infectious pathogens isolated from the liver were also isolated from the hepaticojejunostomy. The changes in hemoglobin, bilirubin, albumin, and ammonia significantly correlated with the changes of the bacterial concentration of the liver. The results of the study suggests that hepatic bacterial proliferation after BDR is significantly affected by microbial overgrowth in the bilioenteric anastomosis and is associated with deteriorated liver function and hemogram.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence of and risk factors for erectile dysfunction in Hong Kong diabetic patients.

AIM: To estimate the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in Chinese diabetic men and to identify its risk factors, we carried out a cross-sectional survey of 500 Chinese diabetic men attending a community hospital diabetic clinic in Hong Kong. METHODS: Patients were interviewed and asked to report on their experience of ED as defined in the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference 1993. Diabetic complications and patient clinical data were obtained from patients' medical records. RESULTS: Of the 486 patients studied, the prevalence of ED was 63.6% (95% confidence interval 59.3-67.9%). The prevalence of ED increased with age, from 33.3% to 73.8% for diabetic men aged between 21 and 80 years (P = 0.001). Severity of ED also increased with age. Among diabetic men with ED, there was no report of complete ED for diabetic men aged 40 years and below, whereas the proportion of patients with complete ED increased from 7.4% to 71.1% between the ages of 41 and 80 years. ED occurred early in the course of the disease, with a prevalence increasing from 56.0% in men with diabetes mellitus (DM) for < 5 years to 72.0% in those with DM for > 20 years (P = 0.038). Duration of DM was also associated with severity; the proportion of patients with complete ED increased from 30.8% for those with DM for < 5 years to 72.2% for those with DM for > or = 20 years (P < 0.001). Using logistic regression analysis, DM duration, diabetic complications including retinopathy, abnormal albuminuria and sensory neuropathy, and higher level of education were associated with a higher risk of ED. By polychotomous logistic regression, age was the only factor found to be associated with the severity of ED, after adjusting for other variables. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese diabetic patients have a prevalence of self-reported ED that appears to be higher than that of Western populations. This may be due to cultural differences and the association of abnormal albuminuria and hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Cloning and characterization of a periplasmic nuclease of Vibrio vulnificus and its role in preventing uptake of foreign DNA.

We have cloned a nuclease gene, vvn, from Vibrio vulnificus, an estuarine bacterium that causes wound infections and septicemia in humans and eels. The gene contained a 696-bp open reading frame encoding 232 amino acids (aa), including a signal sequence of 18 aa. The deduced amino acid sequence of the mature nuclease predicted a molecular mass of 25 kDa, which was confirmed by vital stain, and a pI of 8.6. Vvn was produced in the periplasm of either V. vulnificus or recombinant Escherichia coli strains and was active in the oxidized (but not the reduced) form. This nuclease was able to digest DNA and RNA, with differential thermostability in DNase and RNase activities. Expression of Vvn in E. coli DH5alpha reduced the frequencies of transformation with the divalent ion-treated cells and electroporation by about 6 and 2 logs, respectively. In addition, the transformation frequency of a Vvn-deficient V. vulnificus mutant (ND) was 10-fold higher than that of the parent strain. These data suggested that Vvn may be involved in preventing uptake of foreign DNA by transformation. However, Vvn expressed in the recipients had little effect on the conjugation frequency in either E. coli or V. vulnificus. Some other DNase(s) may be present in the periplasm and responsible for a residual DNase activity, which was about one-fourth of that of the parent strain, detected in the ND mutant. We also demonstrated that Vvn was not required for the virulence of V. vulnificus mice.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Estrogen improves motor disability in parkinsonian postmenopausal women with motor fluctuations.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy, tolerance, and safety of low-dose oral estrogen in postmenopausal women with PD associated with motor fluctuations. BACKGROUND: Motor fluctuations in PD may be predictable or unpredictable, and eventually affect most patients after long-term levodopa therapy. Although estrogen can modulate nigrostriatal dopamine levels, its effects on PD are unclear. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive conjugated estrogen (oral Premarin 0.625 mg daily; n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) in a double-blind, parallel-group, prospective study over 8 weeks. Existing antiparkinsonian drug regimes were kept unchanged. Changes in "on" and "off" periods using patient diaries, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score, timed tapping score, and Hamilton Depression Scale score were determined by one rater. Subgroup analyses were also performed on patients with only predictable motor fluctuations. RESULTS: Both treatment groups were similar in age, duration of disease and menopause, antiparkinsonian medication, and compliance with test medication and diary assessments. "On" and "off" times, and motor score (UPDRS subscale III) improved with estrogen, using the Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05 after Bonferroni adjustment). Mean "on" time improved by 7% (9 hours/week of awake time) in estrogen-treated patients versus a deterioration of 0.5% (1.4 hours) in placebo-treated patients (95% confidence interval, [CI] of mean difference, 5.73 to 14.9). Mean "off" time improved by 4% (4.4 hours/week of awake time) in estrogen-treated patients versus no change in placebo-treated patients (95% CI, 1.54 to 7.16). Mean subscale III score improved by 3.5 points in estrogen-treated patients versus 0.4 in placebo-treated patients (95% CI, 1.02 to 5.18). No other significant changes were observed (p > 0.05). Subgroup analyses in patients with only predictable motor fluctuations showed similar results, except improvement in mean subscale III score was marginally not significant (p = 0.07; 95% CI, 1.06 to 6.24). Five patients on estrogen had facial flushing, three had lower abdominal discomfort, and two had mild withdrawal vaginal bleeding. The adverse events were mild and resolved without sequelae. CONCLUSION: Low-dose estrogen is a safe and effective adjunct therapy to existing antiparkinsonian treatment in reducing motor disability in postmenopausal women with PD associated with motor fluctuations.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Changes in portal venous hemodynamics in patients with severe acute hepatitis over one year.

PURPOSE: A wide range of portal vein blood flow velocity (PVV) values can be found in acute hepatitis. We studied course and medical significance of PVV changes in patients with severe acute hepatitis over a 1-year period. METHODS: Portal venous hemodynamics were studied by Doppler sonography in 90 patients at study enrollment and 3, 6, and 12 months following an episode of severe acute hepatitis. RESULTS: Forty-one survivors who had a maximum PVV at enrollment greater than or equal to the value measured at the third month were classified as the "declining PVV" group. Thirty-six survivors who had a maximum PVV at enrollment less than the value measured at the third month were classified as the "rising PVV" group. Thirteen patients died of acute hepatic failure and were classified as the fatality group. The fatality group had significantly lower maximum PVV, worse liver biochemical test results, and a higher prevalence of ascites at enrollment. In contrast, the declining PVV group showed significantly better liver biochemical test results and a lower prevalence of ascites. There was no significant difference in portal vein blood flow between the rising and declining PVV groups since portal vein diameter increased while PVV decreased. CONCLUSIONS: An initially decreased PVV can be found in some patients with severe acute hepatitis and is inversely correlated with the severity of liver damage.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Muscle force measured using "break" testing with a hand-held myometer in normal subjects aged 20 to 69 years.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the strength of 17 muscle groups in the upper and lower extremities in a large group of healthy subjects using "break" testing with a hand-held myometer, and to examine the intrasession and intersession reliability of the testing protocol. SUBJECTS AND INSTRUMENTATION: A convenience sample of 20 men and 20 women in each decade of age from 20 to 69 years (n = 200) was tested using a Penny & Giles hand-held myometer. RESULTS: Reliability coefficients were >.85 for both intrasession and intersession reliability, except for the ankle dorsiflexors. Men exerted a significantly greater force than women for all muscle groups. Age, weight, and side of testing were significant predictors of force in the majority of muscle groups. The fifth percentile values, as the lower limit of normal, are reported separately for gender and side of testing for each decade of age. CONCLUSION: Using the testing protocol specified in this study, data from patients with various neuromuscular diseases may be compared with the appropriate gender- and age-matched normal data to accurately identify the presence of weakness.

Adult↗