Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39953824›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of manual & manipulative therapy2025

Evaluation of exploration time, accuracy, and task difficulty perception in three tactile tests among physiotherapy students.

Nataša Mlakar, Sonja Hlebš

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

2 authors.

Nataša MlakarDepartment of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Sonja HlebšDepartment of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTactile sensitivity is one of the most important skills for developing competence in manual palpation. There is a lack of studies aimed at analyzing the development of tactile sensitivity during different levels of physiotherapy education. The present study aims to compare manual tactile sensitivity in two groups of physiotherapy students.

methodsTwenty first-year physiotherapy students (mean age 19.4 yrs ± 0.6) and twenty final-year physiotherapy students (mean age 23.7 yrs ± 3.7) participated in the study. For the tactile sensitivity test, 3 wooden tables were used, in which different geometric structures were engraved. Subjects were instructed to perform a tactile examination of the geometric structures and then reproduce them by drawing on a sheet of paper. The tactile time, drawing time, accuracy, and difficulty of the geometric structures were scored. A two-sample t-test was used for the between-groups comparison if more time in an educational program should result in differences in tactile time, drawing time, accuracy, and difficulty. Linear regression was used to compare the difficulty with the accuracy of all geometric structures. Wilcoxon test was used to test the intra-rater agreement.

resultsThe accuracy of the reproduction of geometric structures 1, 2 and 3 were 77.5%, 27.5% and 45%, for all physiotherapy students respectively. Final-year physiotherapy students spent more time exploring geometric structure 2 ( DISCUSSION/

conclusionThe study showed that the level of education and gained experience during laboratory teaching may be important in improving the palpation skills of physiotherapy students. Tactile sensitivity exercises should be included in physiotherapy education programs.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetencePalpationPhysical Therapy ModalitiesPhysical Therapy SpecialtyStudents, Health OccupationsTouchTouch PerceptionAdultFemaleHumansMaleYoung AdultPalpationphysical therapypostgraduate educationtactile sensitivityundergraduate education

Identifiers

PMID39953824
PMCPMC12281665

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.