Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05244863

The Relationship of Muscle Strength With Functional Skills in Geriatric Individuals With Essential Tremor

Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders in the world and is characterized by postural and/or kinetic tremor.

Although the prevalence studies show differences due to the absence of a biological marker of the disease, it has been shown that the disease affects 4% of the population over 40 years of age and this rate may increase up to 14% in the population over 65 years of age. The annual incidence of Essential Tremor was found to be 616 per 100 thousand.

The incidence of the disease increases with age. An incidence study shows that the disease increases progressively with age, with a sharp increase after age 49. In another study, it was stated that the age of onset of the disease showed a bimodal distribution, reaching the highest level in the second and sixth decades. It is stated that the severity and disability of tremor increase with age. The female-to-male ratio of the disease was found to be equal, but it was shown that more head tremor developed in females.

Although the factors affecting essential tremor are aging, stress, family history, excessive caffeine consumption, smoking, muscle weakness, distal and proximal muscle strength differences were detected in young individuals with tremor. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between proximal and distal muscle strength and upper extremity functional skills in geriatric individuals with essential tremor.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Essential Tremor Central Nervous System Diseases Movement Disorders Nervous System Diseases

Age range

60 year–85 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Kahramanmaraş Sutcu Imam University

Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

In order for many elderly individuals to maintain their independence in functional activities, it is critical that the upper extremity dexterity is at a good level. Because the upper extremity needs to be functional in the realization of social relations such as writing, cooking, combing their hair, brushing their teeth, and participating in recreational activities. Due to the importance of maintaining functional independence in old age, many reviews have attempted to identify primary age-related neuromuscular changes that have an impact on the decreased function of most of the elderly. Age-related declines in function can be explained by increased motor unit firing rate variability of various central and peripheral nervous systems. It is thought to increase tremor in the altered synchronization between motor units in agonist and antagonist muscles, as well as impaired activation between agonist and antagonist muscles. Muscle strength differences in upper extremity functional skills were detected between proximal and distal muscle groups in young individuals with Essential Tremor. In a study investigating the effect of resistance exercise training on tremor in geriatrics, the changes in postural tremor with resistance training in healthy older adults were investigated. In this study; The frequency and severity of tremor of two different groups that received strength and coordination training were evaluated, and it was stated that there was a significant difference in the strength training group.

In this study, which is the only literature study in which strength training was applied to geriatric individuals with essential tremor, it was not specified on which muscle groups the strength training would be effective. In our study, determining the strength differences of the proximal and distal muscle groups of geriatric individuals with essential tremor will enable the creation of effective programs specific to the individual and muscle groups in the rehabilitation program.

Who can participate

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Voluntary geriatric individuals aged 60-85 years with and without tremor
  • with a mini mental test score above 24,

Exclusion criteria

  • have diabetic neuropathy
  • have undergone hand surgery
  • upper and lower motor paralysis
  • a history of hand fracture

Treatment and study plan

Test

Other

Measurements

Primary outcomes

  1. ahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale

    Time frame: At baseline

    It is a widely used clinical assessment scale for tremor. The severity of tremor body parts is determined as 5 grades from 0 (absent) to 4 (severe)

  2. Proximal muscle strength

    Time frame: At baseline

    Digital dynamometer was used to evaluate muscle strength.

  3. Dİstal muscle strength

    Time frame: At baseline

    Jamar dynamometer was used to evaluate muscle strength.

  4. Disability Arm Shoulder Hand

    Time frame: At baseline

    The DASH-T questionnaire is completed by the individual and consists of 3 parts: the functional/symptom (DASH-FS), the business model (DASH-W), and the sports-musicians model (DASH-SM). The person answers all questions according to a 5-point Likert system (1: no difficulty, 2: mild difficulty, 3: moderate difficulty, 4: extreme difficulty, 5: not able to do at all). A score between 0-100 is obtained from each section. The higher the score, the higher the disability.

  5. Nine Holes Peg test

    Time frame: At baseline

    The test is performed with the patient in a sitting position. The patient is asked to line up the nine sticks inside the box on the table as quickly as possible into the holes of the other box, and remove them immediately after finishing. The test is started with the dominant hand, the time is measured with a stopwatch, and it is started when the hand touches the bars and ends when the last stick is placed in the box.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Relationship of Proximal and Distal Muscle Strength With Upper Extremity Functional Skills in Geriatric Individuals With Essential Tremor

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Feb 17, 2022
Registry last updated
Feb 17, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.