Investigation of The Effects of Proprioceptive Exercise Training on Motor Performance Parameters in Healthy Adults

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of two different exercise protocols applied to healthy individuals on motor performance parameters. Forty-one healthy participants were included in the study. Participants were divided into 2 groups (wrist proprioceptive exercise group, general exercise group) and attended exercise training targeting the hand and wrist for a total of 6 weeks. Before and after the exercises, sociodemographic evaluation, Quick Disability of Arm Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, pain assessment, grip strength measurement, weight transfer tolerance test, wrist joint position sense, Nelson hand reaction test, upper extremity Y balance test, lateral grip and tripod grip measurements, manual muscle testing, and surface electromyography analysis were evaluated in both groups.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise; Wrist Injuries; Proprioception
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Proprioceptive Exercises; Other: Upper Extremity Exercises

Detailed Description

Healthy volunteers who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study upon agreement to participate. The participants were divided into two groups. One group received 6 weeks of general upper extremity exercises along with proprioceptive exercise training. The proprioceptive exercise training consisted of a 10-minute warm-up period including active and passive upper extremity exercises followed by 30 minutes of proprioceptive exercises. The exercise program progressed weekly, and exercises were performed in standardized positions. To ensure adherence to the exercises, they were recorded on video and sent to participants' phones. The second group performed general upper extremity exercises for 6 weeks. The reason for creating the second group was to eliminate the time-dependent effect of changes in electromyographic activation levels of muscles. Additionally, the bilateral effects of unilateral upper extremity exercise training are observed. Comparing the electromyographic activities of untrained healthy individuals at the end of the treatment may enhance the quality of data interpretation. However, other factors that increase the risk of error in evaluating distal motor performance of the upper extremity were also considered in our study. It is expected that the motor performance of the dominant side will be greater than that of the non-dominant side. However, the non-dominant side is more frequently used in daily activities, resulting in a higher frequency and intensity of daily life activities being loaded onto the dominant side. To reduce the potential error resulting from daily life activities, exercise training was given to the non-dominant side of the healthy individuals participating in our study. Detailed evaluations were performed on the individuals participating in the study, as described below. Evaluations were conducted twice, before starting the exercise program and after the 6-week exercise program.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Ankara, Turkey, 06100
    • Hacettepe University Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• To be between the ages of 18 and 30
• To be willing to participate in the study
• To have cognitive abilities to understand the tasks required in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Experiencing acute/chronic bilateral or unilateral upper extremity pain
• Having neurological and/or rheumatological diseases
• Chronic medication usage
• Regular smoking/alcohol consumption currently or in the past
• Taking cortisone orally or via injection
• Suffering from upper extremity musculoskeletal injuries in the past year
• Undergoing upper extremity surgery
• Having a body mass index greater than 24.9 kg/m2
• Scoring above 6 on the Beighton hypermobility score
• Engaging in regular exercises involving the upper extremities
• History of autoimmune and/or rheumatic diseases
• Regular use of anti-inflammatory medications, etc.
• Having cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Wrist Proprioceptive Exercises and General Upper Extremity Exercises; Wrist Proprioceptive Exercises are neuromuscular exercises for wrist stabilization and control.	Other: Proprioceptive Exercises; In our study, participants were divided into two different exercise groups, starting with the same warm-up exercise program, and a 6-week exercise training program was implemented. To reduce the potential error resulting from daily life activities, exercise training was given to the non-dominant side of the participants. Proprioceptive exercises aim to restore muscle balances, unconscious joint control with reactive muscle activations and feedforward joint control.; Other: Upper Extremity Exercises; In our study, participants were divided into two different exercise groups, starting with the same warm-up exercise program, and a 6-week exercise training program was implemented. To reduce the potential error resulting from daily life activities, exercise training was given to the non-dominant side of the participants. Upper extremity exercises are traditional rehabilitation exercises for strength, endurance and range of motion.
Other: General Upper Extremity Exercises; These exercises are traditional rehabilitation exercises.	Other: Upper Extremity Exercises; In our study, participants were divided into two different exercise groups, starting with the same warm-up exercise program, and a 6-week exercise training program was implemented. To reduce the potential error resulting from daily life activities, exercise training was given to the non-dominant side of the participants. Upper extremity exercises are traditional rehabilitation exercises for strength, endurance and range of motion.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Surface Electromyography	Measurement of wrist muscles activation levels	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Grip Force	Measurement of hand grip force	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise
Weight Bearing Tolerance Test	Measurement of weight bearing capacity of healthy wrist	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise
Joint Position Sense	Measurement of position senses for 4 wrist range of motion directions	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise
Reaction time	Measurement of Nelson hand reaction time	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise
Upper extremity y balance test	Measurement of upper extremity balance and mobility	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise
Tripod grip	Measurement of tripod hand grip force	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise
Lateral grip	Measurement of lateral hand grip force	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise
Manual muscle test	Measurement of manual muscle dynamometer	Within the week before starting the exercise and within the week after finishing the exercise

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hacettepe University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Semiha Tomiris Erzincanlı, MSc Student, Hacettepe University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 15, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 17, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 23, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 23, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 17, 2024
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Proprioception; Wrist
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries; Arm Injuries; Wrist Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: E-94603339-604.01.02-268134

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No