AIM The aims of this study were twofold: first, to develop and validate a timed test of unimanual and bimanual dexterity suitable for those with disability affecting hand function; second, to explore relationships between unimanual and bimanual completion times. METHOD We developed the Tyneside Pegboard Test (TPT), an electronically timed test with three peg sizes, incorporating an asymmetric...

Our objective in this study was to determine if the known relation between tibia bone lead levels and neurobehavioral test scores are influenced by the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype. We collected data on 20 neurobehavioral tests in 529 former organolead workers who had an average of 16 years since last occupational exposure to lead. We used linear regression to model the relations between ea...

BACKGROUND Previously alternate nostril yoga breathing (anuloma-viloma pranayama) was shown to reduce the blood pressure (BP) in people with hypertension. An elevated BP has been associated with poor performance in certain tasks requiring attention and co-ordination. The Purdue pegboard task assesses manual dexterity and eye-hand co-ordination. MATERIAL/METHODS In the present study there were...

We have previously reported beneficial effects of acute (i.e., single session) Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) on manual dexterity and cognitive planning ability in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS). In the present study, we report the chronic effects of eight weeks of ACT, voluntary cycling (VC), and no cycling (NC), on the same measures in adolescents with DS. Participants completed 8 weeks ...

Background Trigger finger (TF) is a common hand pathology frequently encountered in hand clinics. Occupational therapists predominantly assess TF symptoms as opposed to using standardized hand functioning assessments. The purpose of this study was to assess the construct validity of dexterity and grip strength assessments for clients with TF. Method Sixty-three participants with TF and 66 hea...

BACKGROUND Motor response complications that arise with repeated L-dopa administration for the treatment of Parkinson's disease are well understood but the relationship between motor response complications and affect are not. We proposed that patients with dyskinesias would report rebound worsening in affect during wearing-off of L-dopa effect. METHODS Fifty Parkinson's disease patients with ...

Walking workstations may counteract sedentarism in working adults; however, performing dual-task walking affect gait or work performance. The purpose of this study was to examine symmetry parameters and performance while completing a fine motor dexterity task during workstation use. Gait function, quantified as symmetry, used identify attentional resource allocation the co-occurring tasks condi...

BACKGROUND Exposure to organic solvents is common among workers. OBJECTIVE To assess neurobehavioral effects of long-term exposure to organic solvents among rubber workers in Tehran, Iran. METHODS Across-sectional study was conducted on 223 employees of a rubber industry. The participants completed a data collection sheet on their occupational and medical history, and demographic characteri...