Contribution of tactile dysfunction to manual motor dysfunction in type II diabetes.

Introduction: Changes in sensory and motor functions of the hand in type II diabetes (T2D) patients have been reported; there is speculation that these changes are driven by tactile dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of tactile feedback on manual function in T2D patients.

Methods: T2D patients and healthy controls underwent median nerve blocks at the wrist and elbow. All participants underwent traditional timed motor evaluations, force dynamometry, laboratory-based kinetic evaluations, and sensory evaluation.

Results: Tactile sensation in the T2D group at baseline was found to be equivalent to tactile function of the control group after median nerve block. Traditional timed evaluation results were negatively impacted by anesthesia, but more sensitive kinetic measures were not impacted.

Conclusions: These data suggest that mechanisms outside of tactile dysfunction play a significant role in motor dysfunction in T2D. Muscle Nerve 54: 895-902, 2016.