Proprioception and Manual Skills

NCT07182084 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Comparison of Proprioceptive
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The proprioception refers to a person's awareness of the position, velocity, and weight of any body part in space. Proprioception consists of joint position sense and joint movement sense.Proprioception arises from the coordination of many different receptors, and it is assumed that these receptors are concentrated in muscles, tendons, joint capsules, and ligaments. Examples of proprioceptors include the golgi tendon organ, muscle spindles, pacinian corpuscles, and free nerve endings. Proprioceptive sense is closely related to many movements performed to perform daily activities. Proprioceptive sense is considered one of the most important resources in the development of task-specific neuroplasticity.The healthcare sector comprises individuals from many professional groups. Each professional group reaches professional competence by undergoing specific educational and training stages. Physiotherapists are one of these professional groups. To fulfill their professional duties, physiotherapists are expected to possess core competencies such as patient assessment using various manual methods, clinical decision-making, technical, communication, and therapeutic skills. Furthermore, a key difference distinguishing physiotherapists from other professions is their extensive manual contact with patients during assessment and treatment programs. Members of this professional group receive various training programs in manual therapy methods during their undergraduate studies. They undergo various qualifications that develop their manual skills and conduct assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation using various manual methods throughout their professional careers. The hand, with its complex structure, is one of the most prominent parts of the human body. Despite accounting for 0.6% of body weight and 2% of body surface area, the hand accounts for over 20% of the motor and sensory homunculus, demonstrating the importance and complexity of the hand's functional structure. The hand's ability to perform these complex skills depends not only on motor ability but also on two excellent sensory systems: proprioception and the sense of touch.It is thought that upper extremity proprioceptive sense and manual dexterity may vary among healthcare professionals. The literature primarily focuses on studies evaluating the proprioceptive sense and manual dexterity of dentists. However, it is noteworthy that studies have not compared the differences in proprioceptive sense and manual dexterity among healthcare professionals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare proprioceptive sense and manual dexterity between physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals.

Conditions

Proprioception; Physiotherapist; Health Professionals

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Proprioception Measurement

  All participants will undergo upper extremity (shoulder, elbow, wrist) proprioception assessment. Participants will complete a practice trial before each test. In the practice trial, target angles will be presented to the participant not verbally, but by positioning the joints for 5 seconds. After confirming that the participant has grasped the position with the "OK" command, the participant will return to the neutral position. A 5-second break will be allowed between repetitions, and the next joint range of motion will be performed when the participant is ready (30). Tests will be measured with a goniometer without contact, and absolute angular differences will be recorded. Each test will be performed twice on both extremities, and the average of absolute angular differences will be calculated. Dominant and non-dominant hands will be determined based on the answer to the question "Which hand do you write with?" Participants' eyes will be covered with an eye patch during the tests.

  on the first day of assessment

• Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT)

  The PPT consists of a board with two parallel rows of 25 holes into which cylindrical metal nails are inserted. The evaluator's guide contains the nail board, 25 pins, 45 washers, and 55 nails. Participants are asked to take a pin from a cup and insert it into one of the holes on the board, starting with the first hole closest to the cup. The objective is to fill as many holes as possible with nails within a 30-second time limit. The test is performed simultaneously with the dominant limb first, then the non-dominant limb, and finally both limbs. Scores are awarded based on the number of pins, washers, and nails.

  on the first day of assessment

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• sosyodemographic form

  in the first day of assesment

Study Arms (1)

1/study group

Healthcare professionals(physiotherapist/nurse/midwife, doctor) living in Kahramanmaraş province

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 25 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and midwives who work in the Kahramanmaraş city center and agree to participate in the study will be included.

You may qualify if:

• Individuals who are healthcare professionals (doctors, physiotherapists, nurses, and midwives)
• Individuals who have worked in the field for at least one year
• Individuals who have full range of motion in the upper extremity
• Individuals who speak and communicate in Turkish

You may not qualify if:

• \- Individuals with any neurological problem (Parkinson's, hemiplegia, etc.)
• Individuals experiencing predominant upper extremity edema or pain due to musculoskeletal trauma in the last 6 months
• Pregnant individuals
• Blind individuals
• Individuals diagnosed with rheumatological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis
• Individuals with sensory or motor loss in the upper extremity

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Kahramanmaraş Sütçü imam University

Kahramanmaraş, Onikişubat, 46100, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Officials

• Hatice adıgüzel tat, Associate Professor

  Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• abdulkadir ertürk, Msc

  Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Yusuf Şinasi Kırmacı, Asisstant Prof

  Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Tuğçe Simay Özbay, Msc

  Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Hatice adıgüzel tat, Associate Proffessor

CONTACT

+90344 300 26 47; fzthatis@gmail.com

hatice Adiguzel tat, Associate Proffessor

CONTACT

+90344 300 26 47; fzthatis@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: OTHER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 11, 2025
• First Posted: September 19, 2025
• Study Start: January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion: March 15, 2026
• Study Completion: March 30, 2026
• Last Updated: December 19, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)