The Effect of Priming of Questionnaire Content on Grip Strength in Patients With Hand and Upper Extremity Illness

Objectives:

To determine the association between priming and measurements of hand function such as grip strength

Primary null hypothesis:

There is no difference in grip strength (best of three attempts) as a percent of the opposite hand between patients that complete the standard Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) compared to patients that complete the positively adjusted PCS.

Secondary null hypotheses:

There is no difference in grip strength (last of three attempts) as a percent of the opposite hand between patients that complete the standard PCS compared to patients that complete the positively adjusted PCS.

There is no difference in grip strength (best of three attempts) before and after completing the questionnaires between patients that complete the standard PCS compared to patients that complete the positively adjusted PCS.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hand and Upper Extremity Illness
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Standard PCS; Other: Grip Strength; Other: Positively Adjusted PCS

Detailed Description

Priming affects all aspects of human behavior. Prior research by the investigators' group determined that completing a positively phrased version of the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) primed patients to report less disability on average than completing the standard PCS. The influence of priming can be better understood by determining if it also affects direct measurements of hand function such as grip strength measures.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 122
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
      • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• All English-speaking adult patients visiting the Orthopaedic Hand and Upper Extremity Service

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to complete enrollment forms due to mental status or language problem

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Standard PCS; Grip strength measurements and completes standard PCS	Other: Standard PCS; Subject completes the standard version of the PCS Questionnaire; Other: Grip Strength; Research Assistant takes Grip Strength Measurements
Experimental: Positive PCS; Grip strength measurements and completes positively adjusted PCS	Other: Grip Strength; Research Assistant takes Grip Strength Measurements; Other: Positively Adjusted PCS; Subject completes the positively-adjusted version of the PCS Questionnaire

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)	The pain catastrophizing scale is a 13-item scale to measure catastrophic thinking. The scale is from 0-4 and scores range from 0-52, a lower score indicates less catastrophic thinking about pain.	enrollment
Positive Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)	The positive pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) is a positively-phrased 13-item scale to measure catastrophic thinking. The scale is from 0-4 and scores range from 0-52, a higher score indicates less catastrophic thinking about pain.	enrollment
Difference in Grip Strength Measured With Dynamometer	Difference in Grip strength of the non-affected hand after completing intervention. Each participant completed the grip strength measurement 3 times on the non-affected hand at enrollment (day 1). The results reported represent an increase or decrease in mean grip strength and maximum grip strength after completing the intervention.	Day 1
Difference in Grip Strength Measured With Dynamometer	Difference in Grip strength of the injured hand after completing intervention. Each participant completed the grip strength measurement 3 times on the injured hand at enrollment (day 1). The results reported represent an increase or decrease in mean grip strength and maximum grip strength after completing the intervention.	Day 1
Difference in Grip Strength Measured With Dynamometer	Difference in Grip strength of both hands after completing intervention. Each participant completed the grip strength measurement 3 times with both hands at enrollment (day 1). The results reported represent an increase or decrease in mean grip strength and maximum grip strength after completing the intervention.	Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 15, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): July 9, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 13, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 1, 2017
• Last Verified: March 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 2015P000879