Hand function tests are important and sensitive tools for assessment of treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Eberhardt, Kerstin LU ; Sandqvist, Gunnel LU
and Geborek, Pierre
LU
(2008)
In Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology
37(2).
p.109-112
- Abstract
- Objectives: To assess the usefulness of hand function measurements in a study of treatment effects of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers and to define the relationship between different hand function tests and also relate hand function to general disability and disease activity. Methods: The study group consisted of 49 patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were followed for 1 year while on TNF inhibitors. Evaluation of hand function included Signals of Functional Impairment (SOFI), grip and pinch grip force, and the Grip Ability Test (GAT). General disability was assessed by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and disease activity by the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28). The standardized mean response... (More)
- Objectives: To assess the usefulness of hand function measurements in a study of treatment effects of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers and to define the relationship between different hand function tests and also relate hand function to general disability and disease activity. Methods: The study group consisted of 49 patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were followed for 1 year while on TNF inhibitors. Evaluation of hand function included Signals of Functional Impairment (SOFI), grip and pinch grip force, and the Grip Ability Test (GAT). General disability was assessed by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and disease activity by the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28). The standardized mean response (SMR) method was used to evaluate sensitivity to change for all hand tests using DAS28 and HAQ as external indicators of change. Results: HAQ, DAS28, grip and pinch grip force, and GAT showed a highly significant improvement over time (p<0.001). The improvement in SOFI was also significant (p<0.01). The correlations between the different hand tests varied between 0.45 and 0.72. All hand function tests were significantly related to HAQ but showed only weak correlations to DAS28. SOFI, grip force, and pinch grip force showed large sensitivity for improvement in DAS28 and HAQ (SMR = 0.8-0.9). GAT showed modest sensitivity (SMR = 0.6-0.7). Conclusions: Patients with advanced RA attained considerable improvement in hand function that was only partly reflected by measures of general disability and disease activity. Focused assessment of hand function is therefore important for optimal evaluation of treatment response. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1147325
- author
- Eberhardt, Kerstin
LU
; Sandqvist, Gunnel
LU
and Geborek, Pierre
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2008
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology
- volume
- 37
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 109 - 112
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000255956000005
- pmid:18415767
- scopus:42149148016
- pmid:18415767
- ISSN
- 1502-7732
- DOI
- 10.1080/03009740701747129
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Department of Rheumatology (013036000), Division of Occupational Therapy (Closed 2012) (013025000)
- id
- a0b9d21f-901d-4d57-8689-6d6cfdf8201b (old id 1147325)
- alternative location
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18415767?dopt=Abstract
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 08:40:11
- date last changed
- 2022-04-23 17:48:32
@article{a0b9d21f-901d-4d57-8689-6d6cfdf8201b,
abstract = {{Objectives: To assess the usefulness of hand function measurements in a study of treatment effects of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers and to define the relationship between different hand function tests and also relate hand function to general disability and disease activity. Methods: The study group consisted of 49 patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were followed for 1 year while on TNF inhibitors. Evaluation of hand function included Signals of Functional Impairment (SOFI), grip and pinch grip force, and the Grip Ability Test (GAT). General disability was assessed by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and disease activity by the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28). The standardized mean response (SMR) method was used to evaluate sensitivity to change for all hand tests using DAS28 and HAQ as external indicators of change. Results: HAQ, DAS28, grip and pinch grip force, and GAT showed a highly significant improvement over time (p<0.001). The improvement in SOFI was also significant (p<0.01). The correlations between the different hand tests varied between 0.45 and 0.72. All hand function tests were significantly related to HAQ but showed only weak correlations to DAS28. SOFI, grip force, and pinch grip force showed large sensitivity for improvement in DAS28 and HAQ (SMR = 0.8-0.9). GAT showed modest sensitivity (SMR = 0.6-0.7). Conclusions: Patients with advanced RA attained considerable improvement in hand function that was only partly reflected by measures of general disability and disease activity. Focused assessment of hand function is therefore important for optimal evaluation of treatment response.}},
author = {{Eberhardt, Kerstin and Sandqvist, Gunnel and Geborek, Pierre}},
issn = {{1502-7732}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{109--112}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology}},
title = {{Hand function tests are important and sensitive tools for assessment of treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03009740701747129}},
doi = {{10.1080/03009740701747129}},
volume = {{37}},
year = {{2008}},
}