Article

Tremor can lead to impaired hand function in patients with Parkinson's disease
(PD) and essential tremor (ET). Difficulty with handwriting is a common complaint
in these patients suffering from hand tremors. The effect of hand resistance
exercise on handwriting is unknown. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To explore the
influence of 6 weeks of home-based hand resistance exercise on handwriting in
individuals with PD and ET. METHODS: Nine individuals with PD and 9 with ET
participated in the study. The average age was 65.3 (6.0) years with an average
disease duration of 7.8 years. Participants were instructed to perform a
home-based, hand and arm resistance exercise program 3 times a week for 6 weeks.
Samples of the area of handwriting and maximal grip strength were measured at
baseline and after 6 weeks of exercise. The area of the handwriting sample and
maximal grip strength measured before and after 6 weeks were compared. RESULTS:
Mean grip strength of the participants with PD improved after 6 weeks of hand
resistance exercise (P = .031), but grip strength did not change in ET (P =
.091). The size of the handwriting samples (words and sentences) did not change
after exercise in either participants with PD or ET. DISCUSSION: Micrographia in
patients with PD and macrographia in patients with ET represent complex fine
motor skills. More research is needed to understand what therapies could be
effective in modifying the size and quality of handwriting. CONCLUSIONS: The
purpose of this feasibility study was to explore the influence of home-based
wrist resistance exercise on handwriting in individuals with PD and ET. Despite
small gains in grip strength, the size of the handwriting samples (words and
sentences) did not change for patients with PD or ET following a 6-week
home-based hand resistance exercise program.
CI - Published by Elsevier Inc.

Langue : ANGLAIS