Feasibility and reliability of measuring muscle stiffness in Parkinson’s Disease using MyotonPRO device in a clinical setting in Ghana

Mary W. Agoriwo; Paul E. Muckelt; Cynthia O. Yeboah; Beatrice E.A. Sankah; Sandra Agyapong-Badu; Albert Akpalu; Maria Stokes

doi:10.4314/gmj.v56i2.4

Feasibility and reliability of measuring muscle stiffness in Parkinson’s Disease using MyotonPRO device in a clinical setting in Ghana

Mary W. Agoriwo^*, Paul E. Muckelt, Cynthia O. Yeboah, Beatrice E.A. Sankah, Sandra Agyapong-Badu, Albert Akpalu, Maria Stokes

^*Corresponding author for this work

Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Objectives: To examine the feasibility and within-session reliability of Myoton technology to measure muscle stiffness objectively in people with Parkinson’s disease in an outpatient setting.

Design: An exploratory quantitative study design was used.

Setting: The study was conducted in the outpatient physiotherapy department of a Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Participants were recruited from three sites.

Participants: Thirty adults with Parkinson’s disease over 18 years with increased tone (muscle stiffness) and at Hoehn and Yahr Stages I-III were studied. Persons with severe co-morbidities were excluded.

Intervention: There was no intervention before testing. The MyotonPRO device measured the mechanical properties of the biceps brachii, flexor carpi radialis and tibialis anterior muscles in a relaxed supine position. The probe applied mechanical impulses to the skin, eliciting tissue oscillations. The muscles’ three parameters (stiffness, non-neural tone and elasticity) were recorded bilaterally. The reliability of two sets (of 5 impulses) of Myoton data on all three muscles was examined.

Results: All 30 participants (66.3±8.9 years) were recruited and tested within eight weeks. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 3,2) were above 0.92 for biceps brachii and tibialis anterior and above 0.86 for flexor carpi radialis.

Conclusion: The MyotonPRO was reliable for measuring two sets of data within the same session, indicating that only one set of measurements is needed. The technique is feasible and easy to use in a clinical setting in Ghana, with the potential to assess the effect of medical and physiotherapy interventions on muscles in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	78-85
Number of pages	8
Journal	Ghana Medical Journal
Volume	56
Issue number	2
Early online date	31 May 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v56i2.4
Publication status	Published - Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank the patients who participated in the study, the patient and public involvement representatives who advised on the study, the Head (Mrs Sandra Asante) and the management of the Physiotherapy Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. Our appreciation goes to Simon Brown (University of Southampton) for helping train clinicians to use the MyotonPRO device. The authors thank the Science and Technology Facilities Council Impact Acceleration Account at the University of Southampton for financial support.

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © The Author(s).

Keywords

Assessment
Feasibility
Muscle stiffness
Parkinson’s disease
Reliability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Medicine

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title = "Feasibility and reliability of measuring muscle stiffness in Parkinson{\textquoteright}s Disease using MyotonPRO device in a clinical setting in Ghana",

abstract = "Objectives: To examine the feasibility and within-session reliability of Myoton technology to measure muscle stiffness objectively in people with Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease in an outpatient setting.Design: An exploratory quantitative study design was used. Setting: The study was conducted in the outpatient physiotherapy department of a Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Participants were recruited from three sites. Participants: Thirty adults with Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease over 18 years with increased tone (muscle stiffness) and at Hoehn and Yahr Stages I-III were studied. Persons with severe co-morbidities were excluded. Intervention: There was no intervention before testing. The MyotonPRO device measured the mechanical properties of the biceps brachii, flexor carpi radialis and tibialis anterior muscles in a relaxed supine position. The probe applied mechanical impulses to the skin, eliciting tissue oscillations. The muscles{\textquoteright} three parameters (stiffness, non-neural tone and elasticity) were recorded bilaterally. The reliability of two sets (of 5 impulses) of Myoton data on all three muscles was examined. Results: All 30 participants (66.3±8.9 years) were recruited and tested within eight weeks. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 3,2) were above 0.92 for biceps brachii and tibialis anterior and above 0.86 for flexor carpi radialis. Conclusion: The MyotonPRO was reliable for measuring two sets of data within the same session, indicating that only one set of measurements is needed. The technique is feasible and easy to use in a clinical setting in Ghana, with the potential to assess the effect of medical and physiotherapy interventions on muscles in people with Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease.",

keywords = "Assessment, Feasibility, Muscle stiffness, Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease, Reliability",

author = "Agoriwo, {Mary W.} and Muckelt, {Paul E.} and Yeboah, {Cynthia O.} and Sankah, {Beatrice E.A.} and Sandra Agyapong-Badu and Albert Akpalu and Maria Stokes",

note = "Funding Information: The authors wish to thank the patients who participated in the study, the patient and public involvement representatives who advised on the study, the Head (Mrs Sandra Asante) and the management of the Physiotherapy Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. Our appreciation goes to Simon Brown (University of Southampton) for helping train clinicians to use the MyotonPRO device. The authors thank the Science and Technology Facilities Council Impact Acceleration Account at the University of Southampton for financial support. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} The Author(s).",

year = "2022",

month = jun,

doi = "10.4314/gmj.v56i2.4",

language = "English",

volume = "56",

pages = "78--85",

journal = "Ghana Medical Journal",

issn = "0016-9560",

number = "2",

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T1 - Feasibility and reliability of measuring muscle stiffness in Parkinson’s Disease using MyotonPRO device in a clinical setting in Ghana

AU - Agoriwo, Mary W.

AU - Muckelt, Paul E.

AU - Yeboah, Cynthia O.

AU - Sankah, Beatrice E.A.

AU - Agyapong-Badu, Sandra

AU - Akpalu, Albert

AU - Stokes, Maria

N1 - Funding Information: The authors wish to thank the patients who participated in the study, the patient and public involvement representatives who advised on the study, the Head (Mrs Sandra Asante) and the management of the Physiotherapy Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. Our appreciation goes to Simon Brown (University of Southampton) for helping train clinicians to use the MyotonPRO device. The authors thank the Science and Technology Facilities Council Impact Acceleration Account at the University of Southampton for financial support. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s).

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Objectives: To examine the feasibility and within-session reliability of Myoton technology to measure muscle stiffness objectively in people with Parkinson’s disease in an outpatient setting.Design: An exploratory quantitative study design was used. Setting: The study was conducted in the outpatient physiotherapy department of a Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Participants were recruited from three sites. Participants: Thirty adults with Parkinson’s disease over 18 years with increased tone (muscle stiffness) and at Hoehn and Yahr Stages I-III were studied. Persons with severe co-morbidities were excluded. Intervention: There was no intervention before testing. The MyotonPRO device measured the mechanical properties of the biceps brachii, flexor carpi radialis and tibialis anterior muscles in a relaxed supine position. The probe applied mechanical impulses to the skin, eliciting tissue oscillations. The muscles’ three parameters (stiffness, non-neural tone and elasticity) were recorded bilaterally. The reliability of two sets (of 5 impulses) of Myoton data on all three muscles was examined. Results: All 30 participants (66.3±8.9 years) were recruited and tested within eight weeks. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 3,2) were above 0.92 for biceps brachii and tibialis anterior and above 0.86 for flexor carpi radialis. Conclusion: The MyotonPRO was reliable for measuring two sets of data within the same session, indicating that only one set of measurements is needed. The technique is feasible and easy to use in a clinical setting in Ghana, with the potential to assess the effect of medical and physiotherapy interventions on muscles in people with Parkinson’s disease.

AB - Objectives: To examine the feasibility and within-session reliability of Myoton technology to measure muscle stiffness objectively in people with Parkinson’s disease in an outpatient setting.Design: An exploratory quantitative study design was used. Setting: The study was conducted in the outpatient physiotherapy department of a Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Participants were recruited from three sites. Participants: Thirty adults with Parkinson’s disease over 18 years with increased tone (muscle stiffness) and at Hoehn and Yahr Stages I-III were studied. Persons with severe co-morbidities were excluded. Intervention: There was no intervention before testing. The MyotonPRO device measured the mechanical properties of the biceps brachii, flexor carpi radialis and tibialis anterior muscles in a relaxed supine position. The probe applied mechanical impulses to the skin, eliciting tissue oscillations. The muscles’ three parameters (stiffness, non-neural tone and elasticity) were recorded bilaterally. The reliability of two sets (of 5 impulses) of Myoton data on all three muscles was examined. Results: All 30 participants (66.3±8.9 years) were recruited and tested within eight weeks. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 3,2) were above 0.92 for biceps brachii and tibialis anterior and above 0.86 for flexor carpi radialis. Conclusion: The MyotonPRO was reliable for measuring two sets of data within the same session, indicating that only one set of measurements is needed. The technique is feasible and easy to use in a clinical setting in Ghana, with the potential to assess the effect of medical and physiotherapy interventions on muscles in people with Parkinson’s disease.

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KW - Muscle stiffness

KW - Parkinson’s disease

KW - Reliability

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Feasibility and reliability of measuring muscle stiffness in Parkinson’s Disease using MyotonPRO device in a clinical setting in Ghana

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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