Dataset Information

Shoulder-Touch test to reveal incongruencies in persons with functional motor disorders.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Clinical experience suggests that many patients with functional motor disorders (FMD), despite reporting severe balance problems, typically do not fall frequently. This discrepancy may hint towards a functional component. Here, we explored the role of the Shoulder-Touch test, which features a light touch on the patient's shoulders, to reveal a possible functional etiology of postural instability.

Methods

We enrolled consecutive outpatients with a definite diagnosis of FMD. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) or progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) with postural instability served as controls. Each patient underwent a clinical evaluation including testing for postural instability using the retropulsion test. Patients with an abnormal retropulsion test (score ≥ 1) also received a light touch on their shoulders to explore the presence (S-Touch+) or absence (S-Touch-) of an incongruent, exaggerated postural response, defined as taking three or more steps to recover or a fall if not caught by the examiner.

Results

From a total sample of 52 FMD patients, 48 patients were recruited. Twenty-five patients (52%) had an abnormal retropulsion test. Twelve of these 25 patients (48%) had an S-Touch+, either because of need to take two or more steps (n = 4) or a fall if not caught by the examiner (n = 8). None of the 23 PD/PSP patients manifested S-Touch+. The sensitivity of the S-Touch test was 48%, whereas its specificity was 100%.

Conclusion

The S-Touch test has a high specificity, albeit with a modest sensitivity, to reveal a functional etiology of postural instability in persons with FMD.

SUBMITTER: Geroin C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9826369 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Shoulder-Touch test to reveal incongruencies in persons with functional motor disorders.

Geroin Christian C Nonnekes Jorik J Erro Roberto R Camozzi Serena S Bloem Bastiaan R BR Tinazzi Michele M

European journal of neurology 20220908 12

<h4>Background and purpose</h4>Clinical experience suggests that many patients with functional motor disorders (FMD), despite reporting severe balance problems, typically do not fall frequently. This discrepancy may hint towards a functional component. Here, we explored the role of the Shoulder-Touch test, which features a light touch on the patient's shoulders, to reveal a possible functional etiology of postural instability.<h4>Methods</h4>We enrolled consecutive outpatients with a definite di ...[more]

PMID: 36038356

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Dataset Information

Shoulder-Touch test to reveal incongruencies in persons with functional motor disorders.

Background and purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Shoulder-Touch test to reveal incongruencies in persons with functional motor disorders.

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