Association between palmar grip strength with trunk and lower limbs

• Grant number: 17/09503-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal researcher: Daniela Cristina Carvalho de Abreu
• Grantee: Ana Paula Midori Nakaishi
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With aging, there is a decline in muscle strength. Changes in this system can be classified as sarcopenia, which consists of progressive and widespread loss of skeletal muscle mass, and as dynapenia, which refers to the loss of muscle strength with aging. This decline in muscle strength has a major impact on the lives of the elderly. A low-cost, quick and easy-to-use instrument used to assess overall muscle strength is the manual dynamometer, recognized in clinical practice and in the literature as a standard instrument for performing palmar grip strength measurements, with good indices of Validity and reliability. The palmar grip strength is a measure used in the elderly population, including for the identification of elderly people with important health conditions that demand care. However, conflicting results are found in the literature regarding palmar grip strength and overall muscle strength. Thus, this study aims to correlate palmar pressure strength with the isometric torque peak of the trunk, hip, knee and ankle muscles in the elderly. There will be two days of data collection, with elderly people independent of the community, of both sexes and with age equal or superior to 60 years. On the first day there will be collection of anthropometric data and will be done the familiarization of the participant in the isokinetic dynamometer and obtaining the force of palmar grip through the manual dynamometer. To obtain palmar grip strength, three isometric contractions will be performed in the dominant limb, with a 60 second interval between each contraction. On the second day of evaluation, the isokinetic dynamometer will be tested to obtain the isometric torque peak of the trunk, hip, knee and ankle muscles. The protocol for muscle function tests of the trunk and lower limbs will consist of three maximal voluntary isometric contractions of the dominant limb, maintained for 5 seconds and with a rest interval of 30 seconds between them. (AU)