PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Hand Strength”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

An anthropometric study of pedophiles and rapists.

Anthropometric measurements were obtained on pedophiles (n = 23) and rapists (n = 13) who were in a forensic treatment facility. Hand grip strength was measured with a Jamar hand dynamometer. Ten separate body measurements were taken including height and weight. As an indicator of body fat, triceps skinfold thickness was obtained with calipers on the non-dominant arm. The findings provided mild support for the hypothesis that the rapists in the sample would be stronger, more muscular, and have less body fat than the pedophiles.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Muscle stiffness and strength and their relation to hand function in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

This study compared the passive stiffness of wrist flexors and the strength of wrist flexors and extensors in three different wrist positions (30 degrees of flexion, neutral, and 30 degrees of extension) between children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing (TD) comparison children. It also examined associations between these characteristics and manual function in children with CP. Eleven children with spastic hemiplegic CP (six females, five males; mean age 8y 5mo [SD 1y 8mo], range 6-11y) and 11 TD children, matched for age and sex, took part in this study. Passive stiffness of muscles was measured as the torque/angle relation during passive motion. Isometric strength tests were performed and the time needed to complete three tasks based on the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test was recorded. Flexor stiffness was higher in the group with CP. Strength of flexors and extensors in the group with CP was lower with the wrist extended. No difference among test positions was found in the TD group. Moderate correlations were observed between manual function and variables related to strength and stiffness of wrist muscles in the group with CP. Children with CP showed muscle alterations coherent with the use of the wrist in flexion. Intervention on these characteristics could have a positive impact on manual function.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2005

Hand preferences for unimanual and coordinated bimanual tasks in baboons (Papio anubis).

This study examined hand preference in baboons in a sample of 94 subjects for a unimanual task and in a sample of 104 subjects for a bimanual task. For the unimanual task, handedness was assessed by observing simple reaching for grains. For the bimanual task, tubes lined with peanut butter inside were presented to the baboons. The hand and the finger used to remove peanut butter were recorded. Population-level right-handedness was found for the bimanual but not the unimanual task. In addition, test-retest correlations showed consistency in hand use across time for the coordinated bimanual task but not the simple reaching task. No significant effects of age and sex on the direction and strength of hand preferences were found for either task. These are the first evidences of population-level handedness in baboons and the results are discussed in the context of evolutionary theories of cerebral dominance.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2006

Longitudinal changes in muscle strength and mass after acute stroke.

BACKGROUND: Reduced mobility after stroke may cause a loss of muscle mass which may, in theory, contribute to disability. We investigated longitudinal changes in muscle strength, lean cross-sectional area and muscle mass in all limbs after acute stroke. METHODS: We recruited 17 patients within 72 h of hospital admission and measured (a) hand grip strength, (b) knee extensor strength and (c) arm and leg lean cross-sectional area on 6 occasions over 6 months. Appendicular and total muscle mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were measured at 3 weeks and 6 months. RESULTS: There was no significant change over time in the strength, lean cross-sectional area and muscle mass of the arms or legs. We noted that muscle strength was substantially lower in all limbs compared with population norms. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of a decline in muscle strength or mass in any limb after the stroke, which could have been attributed to reduced mobility. The observed muscle weakness in the ipsilateral side may have pre-dated the stroke.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2002

Birth weight, childhood size, and muscle strength in adult life: evidence from a birth cohort study.

Environmental influences during gestation may have long-term effects on adult muscle strength. It is not known how early in adult life such effects are manifest and whether they are modified by childhood body size. The authors examined the relation between birth weight and hand grip strength in a prospective national birth cohort of 1,371 men and 1,404 women from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development who were aged 53 years in 1999. A positive relation between birth weight and adult grip strength remained after adjustment first for adult height and weight and then additionally for childhood height and weight (p = 0.006 for men and p = 0.01 for women). The effects of birth weight on grip strength did not vary by childhood or current body size and were not confounded by social class. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to show that birth weight has an important influence on muscle strength in midlife independent of later body size and social class. It suggests that birth weight is related to the number of muscle fibers established by birth and that even in middle age compensating hypertrophy may be inadequate. As the inevitable loss of muscle fibers proceeds in old age, a deficit in the number of fibers could threaten quality of life and independence.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1987

Musculoskeletal capacity of employees aged 44 to 58 years in physical, mental and mixed types of work.

The musculoskeletal capacity of 60 women and 69 men, average age 52.3 +/- 3.7 years was determined, including measurements of anthropometry, maximal isometric trunk flexion and extension, sit-ups, isometric hand grip strength and back mobility. According to the job and to cluster analysis, the subjects were divided into three dominating work groups; physical, mental, and mixed groups. The results showed significant differences in right hand grip strength of the women and in the number of sit-ups by men among the three work groups (p less than 0.05). The differences between the other tests were not significant, although the physical group in the women and either the physical or the mixed group in the men had systematically the lowest mean values in almost all tests. It is concluded that jobs with mainly physical demands do not guarantee superior musculoskeletal capacity in older employees.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Grip strength and endurance in rock climbers.

The performance of competition climbers in laboratory-based tests of pinch and whole hand grip strength and endurance was compared to that of non-climbers of the same age, sex and physique. Climbers performed significantly better, indicating higher stresses acting in the flexor mechanism, possibly predisposing injury. Attempts were made to correlate the performance in the tests to climbing achievement, measured by current technical climbing standards. Although pinch grip strength increased with the length of climbing experience, there was no evidence that strength in the hands alone guarantees success in competition climbing.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Effects of musculoskeletal work load and muscle strength on strain at work in women and men aged 44 to 58 years.

The effects of musculoskeletal work load and muscle strength on strain at work were analysed among 60 women and 69 men (mean age 52 +/- 3.4) in municipal jobs in Finland. The musculoskeletal work load was determined by analysing the jobs by a job description method. The maximal isometric hand grip strength was assessed with a manometer, trunk flexion and trunk extension strength with a dynamometer, and dynamic trunk flexion endurance strength with a sit-up test. Heart rate was registered continuously and ratings of perceived exertion were determined 4 times during the work shift. The results revealed that high musculoskeletal work load was systematically and significantly related to high strain at work in both sexes. A high mean heart rate related to an individual's range in women was an interaction effect of high work load and low hand grip strength or low trunk flexion strength. Among men, both high mean and maximal heart rates in relation to the heart rate range was due to the interaction effects of high work load and low trunk extension strength. The interaction of work load and strength was not systematically related to the ratings of perceived exertion during work. It was concluded that the musculoskeletal work load exerted the main effects on the cardiorespiratory and perceived strains at work. The interaction effects of work load and strength on strain depended on the sex and the muscle group in the studied work load level of elderly municipal employees.

Female↗
PubMed2000

Hand performance assessment of ten people with rheumatoid arthritis when using a range of specified saucepans.

PURPOSE: The aim of the pilot study was to provide information about the design and use of saucepan handles to enable clinicians and designers to specify and provide products that are more appropriate for use by people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The objectives were: to evaluate aspects of new handle design for saucepans in terms of their ease of use for people with RA; document hand grip strength and configuration (grip patterns); record relevant anthropometric data to aid the development of new designs and perform an assessment of lifting techniques used in conjunction with perceived optimum handle configuration. METHOD/RESULTS: Observation and video footage show that subjects continued to use familiar, but damaging, ways of lifting the saucepan even after extensive joint protection training by occupational therapists. Grip strengths recorded using a sphygmomanometer were similar to those found by other studies. The anthropometric measurements taken from the sample group were found to be within available anthropometric surveys of able-bodied people. However, hand length within the sample group with RA was longer than the equivalent in surveys of able-bodied subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects preferred the narrower handles with some surface texture to the larger and more rounded tapered handles. Large handled saucepans were found not to be viable due to the constraints of UK cooking hob sizes and existing British Standards relating to saucepan specification.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2001

Evaluation of pharmacological aids on physical performance after a transmeridian flight.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate physical performance (static and dynamic) of U.S. Air Force reservists after an eastbound air travel across seven time zones and to estimate the pharmacological aids slow-release caffeine and melatonin versus placebo in attempt to overcome the decline in performance. METHODS: 27 American volunteers were randomly divided into three groups: caffeine 300 mg, melatonin 5 mg, and placebo (lactose capsules). Two days before the flight and 10 d after, three tests were performed: hand grip strength test (static performance), squat jump test (maximal height), and multiple jump test (power and endurance). All measures were repeated twice a day: morning and afternoon. RESULTS: In placebo conditions, the static performance of the dominant hand decreased significantly during the first three mornings and tended to decrease the fourth morning. Simultaneously, the caffeine group's static performance increased significantly, whereas the melatonin group maintained its levels. No significant differences were observed the afternoons. No statistical differences appeared for the nondominant hand in the mornings or afternoons. Dynamic capacities presented no significant degradation after the travel. In the placebo group, for the squat jump test, performance increased from the fourth day. No real explanation can be given about this result. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that slow-release caffeine and melatonin might be used to compensate for jet-lag troubles and particularly for the static physical performance decrease. The slow-release caffeine seems to be the best treatment, but its effects are only demonstrated on previously damaged performance. These preliminary results need further investigation, but we are the first to report a beneficial effect of slow-release caffeine and melatonin on physical performances after jet-lag.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Bipedal posture and hand preference in humans and other primates.

Hand preference for quadrupedal and bipedal reaching in humans and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) was examined, and the data were compared with postural reaching data that have been reported for 8 other primate species. Population-level biases were found toward use of the right hand for quadrupedal and bipedal reaching in humans and use of the left hand for quadrupedal reaching in rhesus macaques. Rhesus macaques showed a significant shift toward greater use of the right hand for bipedal vs. quadrupedal reaching. Comparisons with other species showed significant variance in the direction and strength of hand preference across reaching postures. The study noted right-hand biases for bipedal reaching in humans, great apes, and tufted capuchins and shifts toward greater use of the right hand for bipedal vs. quadrupedal reaching in great apes, tufted capuchins, and rhesus macaques. These results suggest that posture alters both the direction and strength of primate hand preference and that bipedalism may have facilitated species-typical right-handedness in humans.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Grip strength changes over 27 yr in Japanese-American men.

The aim of this study was to describe changes in grip strength over a follow-up period of approximately 27 yr and to study the associations of rate of strength decline with weight change and chronic conditions. The data are from the Honolulu Heart Program, a prospective population-based study established in 1965. Participants at exam 1 were 8,006 men (ages 45-68 yr) who were of Japanese ancestry and living in Hawaii. At follow-up, 3,741 men (age range, 71-96 yr) participated. Those who died before the follow-up showed significantly lower grip-strength values at baseline than did the survivors. The average annualized strength change among the survivors was -1.0%. Steeper decline (>1.5%/yr) was associated with older age at baseline, greater weight decrease, and chronic conditions such as stroke, diabetes, arthritis, coronary heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The risk factors for having very low hand-grip strength at follow-up, here termed grip-strength disability (</=21 kg, the lowest 10th percentile), were largely same as those for steep strength decline. However, the age-adjusted correlation between baseline and follow-up strength was strong (r = 0.557, P < 0.001); i.e., those who showed greater grip strength at baseline were also likely to do so 27 yr later. Consequently, those in the lowest grip-strength tertile at baseline had about eight times greater risk of grip-strength disability than those in the highest tertile because of their lower reserve of strength. In old age, maintenance of optimal body mass may help prevent steep strength decrease and poor absolute strength.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Skeletal muscle function in primary fibromyalgia. Effect of regional sympathetic blockade with guanethidine.

Muscle fatigue is the most disabling symptom in primary fibromyalgia (PF), which in addition is characterized by generalised pain and muscle stiffness. In order to assess whether the fatigue is of central and/or peripheral origin, skeletal muscle function was studied by measuring maximum voluntary hand grip strength, and by measuring various contraction characteristics in the adductor pollicis muscle after electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve. The PF-patients were also studied after a regional sympathetic blockade of the forearm with guanethidine. A lower hand grip strength was found in the PF-patients compared to the controls, before as well as during the sympathetic blockade. The developed force, measured during electrical stimulation, did not differ between patients and controls. A lower muscle relaxation rate was found in the PF-patients. The relaxation rate increased in the PF-patients during the sympathetic blockade. The results indicate both a central and a peripheral cause of muscle dysfunction. Activity in the muscle sympathetic system may be one link in the chain of events that leads to muscular symptoms in PF.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1995

Muscle strength and mobility as predictors of survival in 75-84-year-old people.

The purpose of the study was to examine the association of physical capacity, as determined on the basis of self-report and physical measurements, with survival in three groups of elderly people aged 75, 80 and 75-84 years. The main aspects of physical capacity were mobility, walking speed, hand grip strength and knee extension strength. Although 1142 persons participated in mobility interview, of whom 466 also took part in the walking speed test, and 463 in the strength tests. The follow-up periods ranged from 48 to 58 months. Risk of death was significantly related to difficulties in indoor mobility among the 75-84-year-olds (odds ratio = 1.99, 95% confidence interval = 1.27-3.13) and 75- and 80- year-olds (OR = 1.60, CI = 1.07-2.38) and outdoor mobility among the 75-84-year-olds (OR = 2.44, CI = 1.63-3.67) and 75- and 80-year-olds (OR =2.75, CI = 1.72-4.40). The odds ratios for hand grip strength (OR = 1.86, CI=1.13-3.07), knee extension strength (OR =2.52, CI = 1.50-4.42) and walking time over 10 meters (OR = 1.98, CI = 1.18-3.34) for the 75- and 80-year-olds were also significant. Since these variables can be easily measured and provide valuable information about functional capacity and risk of death they merit inclusion in medical examination of elderly clients.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Stabilized resection arthroplasty by an anterior approach in trapeziometacarpal arthritis: results and surgical technique.

Resection arthroplasties were performed through a carpal tunnel incision in 72 hands of 57 patients with trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis and coexistent pathology of the anterior hand or wrist. Sixty-nine hands were followed for an average of 44 (range, 12-74 months). Pain relief was excellent in 60 hands, good in 7, and fair in 2, and thumb motion was satisfactory in 64 hands. Mean strength increase was 30%. Scaphometacarpal space loss was 0.5 mm each year, and residual space averaged 3.1 mm at 60 months. There were two failures. The study corroborated the frequent coexistence of other pathology of the anterior area of the hand and wrist, specifically, carpal tunnel syndrome and flexor carpi radialis tenosynovitis. Furthermore it demonstrated the possibility of an anterior approach to treat these conditions via the same incision. After 5 years, functional results remained good despite progressive collapse of the scaphometacarpal space.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Prevalence of sarcopenia and predictors of skeletal muscle mass in nonobese women who are long-term users of estrogen-replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia refers to the loss of skeletal muscle mass with age. We have found a prevalence of sarcopenia of 22.6% in older postmenopausal women not receiving estrogen. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in a population of older, nonobese, community-dwelling women who had been long-term users of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). METHODS: We measured appendicular skeletal muscle mass by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 189 women aged 59 to 78 years old who had been using ERT for at least 2 years (mean +/- SD duration, 12.7 +/- 8.2 years). We defined sarcopenia as an adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) (mass divided by height squared) more than 2 SDs below the mean for a young healthy reference population. Health and menopause history were obtained. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and physical activity and performance were measured using the Physical Activity Scale in the Elderly, the chair rise time, the 6-minute walk, and measures of lower extremity strength and power. Serum estrone, estradiol, testosterone, and sex hormone binding globulin were measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of sarcopenia in nonobese, community-dwelling women who were long-term ERT users was 23.8%. Skeletal muscle mass correlated significantly with BMI, age at the time of starting ERT, hand grip strength, lower extremity strength and power, and testosterone level, but not with estradiol level. In linear regression analysis, BMI, leg press strength, and testosterone level contributed to adjusted ASM, accounting for 48.7% of the variance (p <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is as common in nonobese women who are long-term ERT users as in community-dwelling women not using ERT, suggesting that ERT does not protect against the muscle loss of aging. BMI, strength, and testosterone level contributed to appendicular skeletal mass in women. These data suggest that interventions to target nutrition, strength training, and testosterone replacement should be further investigated for their role in preventing muscle loss with age.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2003

Muscle strength and exercise kinetics in COPD patients with a normal fat-free mass index are comparable to control subjects.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the extent of clinical muscle dysfunction in stable patients with COPD who were attending an out-patient pulmonary clinic compared with that of age-matched control subjects without COPD. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Respiratory muscle and hand grip strength, steady-state O(2) kinetics, and body composition were measured in 32 patients with COPD (19 women) [mean (+/- SD) FEV(1), 38 +/- 11% predicted] and 36 age-matched control subjects (13 women). RESULTS: Measurements of handgrip force (mean, 97 +/- 32% vs 106 +/- 26% predicted, respectively), maximal expiratory pressure (mean, 57 +/- 33% vs 61 +/- 22% predicted, respectively), steady-state O(2) kinetics (mean tau, 72 +/- 34 s vs 78 +/- 37 s, respectively) and steady-state CO(2) kinetics (mean tau, 77 +/- 38 s vs 65 +/- 32 s, respectively) at submaximal exercise were similar in patients and control subjects. All the subjects, except for one female COPD patient, had a normal fat-free mass index (FFMI), although on average the FFMI was lower in male patients (19.8 +/- 2.8) than in male control subjects (23.0 +/- 2.8; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with COPD who were attending a regular outpatient pulmonary clinic, there was no evidence of reduced upper extremity and expiratory muscle strength or prolonged O(2) and CO(2) kinetics during isowork submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise compared to healthy, age-matched control subjects. Also, a normal body composition was found in nearly all COPD patients. This argues against the existence of a clinically significant systemic myopathy in most stable patients with severe COPD and normal FFMI.

Aged↗