The effects of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy on the grip force control in two manipulation tasks

• Grant number: 16/13092-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Barbosa de Freitas Júnior
• Grantee: Gabriela Otsubo Camilo dos Santos
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa. Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul (UNICSUL). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the major comorbidities of the diabetes mellitus (DM). Despite its high incidence, diagnosis often occurs late and after the examination of electroneuromyography (ENMG). A simple way to detect neurological disorders in diabetic patients with and without neuropathy is to make them grasp and hold an object instrumenting as stable as possible. Our previous studies showed that the percentage of grip force (GF) above the minimum required to avoid object slippage (ie, safety margin - SM) was smaller (about half) in diabetic subjects with and without NDP compared to healthy controls. These results are surprising, since many previous studies have reported that individuals with impairments in the central (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke) and peripheral (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome, deafferentation) nervous system increase this SM as compared to healthy ones. However, these results may be different depending on the task performed. In our previous studies, the task was to grasp, position the object, and hold it as stable as possible for some time (holding task). In studies with other populations, the holding phase is immediately preceded the lifting phase (lifting and holding task), making the GF exerted on the holding phase be directly influenced by how the object was lifted . The aim of this project is to examine GF control in diabetic subjects with and without diagnosis of DPN in the holding task and in the lifting and holding task and compare these individuals with the healthy controls. To reach this aim, 12 diabetic with no DPN, 12 with diagnosis of DPN, and 12 age- and sex-matched healthy controls will perform these tasks using an instrumented object with a load cell. We hipothetize that regardless the task, the SM will be lower in diabetic patients compared to controls. However, for all subjects the SM will be lower and the stability of the GF will be higher in the holding task when compared to the lifting and holding task.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LIMA, KAUE C. A.; SANTOS, GABRIELA O. C.; DONATO, STEPHANIE S. V.; BORGES, LEANDRO; HATANAKA, ELAINE; FREITAS, PAULO B. DE. Grip and load force control and coordination in individuals with diabetes in different manipulation tasks. HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCE, v. 77, JUN 2021. (14/26397-7, 16/13092-9)