Electromyographic Activity of the Upper Limb in Three Hand Function Tests.

Objective/background: Occupational therapists usually assess hand function through standardised tests, however, there is no consensus on how the scores assigned to hand dexterity can accurately measure hand function required for daily activities and few studies evaluate the movement patterns of the upper limbs during hand function tests. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in muscle activation patterns during the performance of three hand dexterity tests.

Methods: Twenty university students underwent a surface electromyographic (sEMG) assessment of eight upper limb muscles during the performance of the box and blocks test (BEST), nine-hole peg test (9HPT), and functional dexterity test (FDT).

Comparison among parameters of maximal respiratory pressures in healthy subjects.

Objective: To investigate four parameters defining maximal respiratory pressures and to evaluate their correlations and agreements among those parameters for the determination of MIP and MEP.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 49 healthy, well-nourished males and females. The mean age was 23.