Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26891751›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2016

Kinematic and kinetic assessment of upper limb movements in patients with writer's cramp.

Mehdi Delrobaei, Fariborz Rahimi, Mallory E Jackman, S Farokh Atashzar, Mahya Shahbazi, Rajni Patel, Mandar Jog

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 41% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Deep Phenotyping of Musicians' Upper Limb Dystonia.Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.) · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Mehdi DelrobaeiK. N. Toosi University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tehran, 19697, Iran. delrobaei@kntu.ac.ir.
Fariborz RahimiDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bonab University, Bonab, East Azerbaijan, Iran. frahimi@bonabu.ac.ir.
Mallory E JackmanDepartment of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada. mjackma3@uwo.ca.
S Farokh AtashzarCanadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University, London, ON, Canada. satashza@uwo.ca.
Mahya ShahbaziCanadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University, London, ON, Canada. mshahba2@uwo.ca.
Rajni PatelCanadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University, London, ON, Canada. rvpatel@uwo.ca.
Mandar JogLawson Health Research Institute, And the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada. mandar.jog@lhsc.on.ca.
Western University · CAK.N.Toosi University of Technology · IRUniversity of Bonab · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe assessment and treatment of writer's cramp is complicated due to the variations in the forces and angles of involved joints. Additionally, in some cases compensatory movements for cramp relief further complicates assessment. Currently these variables are subjectively measured with clinical scales and visual assessments. This subjectivity makes it difficult to successfully administer interventions such as Botulinum toxin injection or orthotics resulting in poor efficacy and significant side effects.

methodA multi-sensor system was used to record finger and wrist forces along with deviation angles at the wrist, elbow and shoulder while 9 patients with writer's cramp performed a series of standardized tasks on surfaces inclined at different angles. Clinical, kinetic, and kinematic information regarding cramping was collected.

resultsFirst, four tasks appeared to best predict cramp occurrence. Second, unique biomechanical profiles emerged for patients regarding force, angles and cramp severity. Third, cluster analyses using these features showed a clear separation of patients into two severity classes. Finally, a relationship between severity and kinetic-kinematic information suggested that primary cramping versus compensatory movements could be potentially inferred.

conclusionsThe results demonstrate that using a set of standardized tasks and objective measures, individual profiles for arm movements and applied forces associated with writer's cramp can be generated. The clinician can then accurately target the biomechanics specifically, whether it is with injection or other rehabilitative measures, fulfilling an important unmet need in the treatment of writer's cramp.

Indexed as

Biomechanical PhenomenaAgedAlgorithmsDystoniaDystonic DisordersElbowFemaleHandHand StrengthHumansMaleMiddle AgedMovementPredictive Value of TestsShoulderUpper Extremity

Identifiers

PMID26891751
PMCPMC4759959
OpenAlexW2275141631

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.