,
Principal, Madha College of Physiotherapy (Affiliated to The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University), Kundrathur, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. India
,
Vice Chancellor, The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. India
,
Principal, Jaya College of Paramedical Sciences, College of Physiotherapy, (Affiliated to The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University), Thiruninravur, Tamil Nadu, India. India
,
Professor, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Tamil Nadu, India. India
Research Head, The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. India
Objective: Manual dexterity is the capacity to move the fingers and hands in a coordinated way to grasp and manipulate things. It depends on the interaction of musculoskeletal and neurological systems to make precise and intentional motions. The study's main goal is to compare the traditional Nine Hole Peg Test with a stopwatch with the dmS-NHPT with an autotimer in terms of concurrent validity, inter-rater reliability, and test-retest reliability. Methodology: Eighty healthy adults were included and randomized into two groups. Group A was tested by Evaluator I with the dmS-NHPT, with an autotimer (digital version of the modified standardized Nine Hole Peg Test), and then with the tNHPT with a stopwatch (traditional Nine Hole Peg Test) on the same day. Group B was tested by Evaluator II. Ten days after the first testing, the second testing is done with the evaluators being reversed. Results: The mean age of participants was 36.14 ± 1.027 years. Concurrent validity between tNHPT and dmS-NHPT with an autotimer was strong by Pearson correlation (r = 0.9603, p < 0.05). The Bland-Altman LoA are used to analyze the pairs of observations between the tNHPT and dmS-NHPT with an autotimer. A scatter plot is used to display the variability between these pairs, and the mean difference is 0.82 seconds. Test-retest reliability after 10 days shows significant correlation with a coefficient of ICC = 0.983 (p = 3.3; < 0.05), and inter-rater reliability was significant with ICC = 0.987 (p = 3.16; < 0.05). Novelty: The digital auto timer and battery are incorporated within the pegboard, with the detector sensor placed within the hole of the board. The material of the pegboard is made of PLA, a bioplastic that is lightweight, which gives tactile feedback and makes gripping of the pegs easier for the subjects. The pegs are colored (visual feedback). The scores are displayed immediately at the end of placing the last peg into the hole (knowledge of results and feedback). Conclusion: The dmS-NHPT with an autotimer’s relative reliability and measurement errors are improved by spatial strategy, thereby increasing the degrees of freedom by biofeedback techniques. A valid tool to measure dexterity for healthy individuals and also patients with neurological disorders.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.