Use of Finger Tapping Test in Quantitative Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programs in Individuals with Chronic Hemiplegia Kronik Hemiplejili Bireylerde Rehabilitasyon Programlarının Etkinliğinin Kantitatif Değerlendirilmesinde Parmak Vurma Testinin Kullanımı
Medical Journal of Bakirkoy, cilt.22, sa.3, ss.246-254, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 22 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.4274/bmj.galenos.2026.2024.11-8
- Dergi Adı: Medical Journal of Bakirkoy
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Pharma Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.246-254
- Anahtar Kelimeler: finger tapping test, Hemiplegia, motor performance, temporal analysis
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate changes in upper extremity motor skills in individuals with chronic stroke using the finger tapping test (FTT) and clinical assessments. Methods: This study was conducted between April 2019 and February 2021. Thirty volunteers with hemiplegia (mean age 61.7±7.22 years), in whom at least 6 months had passed since the first cerebrovascular accident, participated. A Bobath-based physical therapy program (45 minutes/ day, 5 days/week, for 6 weeks) was applied to the affected hands. Pre- and post-treatment evaluations included a 20-second computer-based FTT and clinical tests, such as the Fugl-Meyer assessment upper extremity, the box and block test, the Duruöz hand index, and the functional independence measure. Results: FTT showed an increase in tapping counts (from 58.8±20.52 to 75.5±19.31) and a reduction in mean inter-tapping intervals (ITI) (from 391.7±184.68 ms to 281.6±88.09 ms) (p<0.001). Clinical tests also revealed significant improvements in motor skills and reductions in disability (p<0.001). Both pre- and post-treatment ITI curves were described by linear equations with negative slopes; the slope before treatment (-2.1463) was steeper than that after treatment (-0.6286). Strong correlations were observed between FTT data and clinical test outcomes (p<0.001). Conclusion: The ease of use and objective nature of the FTT highlight its potential for assessing motor recovery and prognosis in patients with hemiplegia, reducing errors associated with subjective assessments, and offering valuable insights for clinicians and researchers.