Finger orthoses for management of joint hypermobility disorders: Relative effects on hand function and cognitive load.
Anne-Mette Jensen, Joan Quist Andersen, Lena Quisth and 1 others
PMID 33834743WHAT IT FOUND
Women with hypermobility disorders completed hand function tests significantly faster when wearing custom silver finger orthoses.
However, brain activity measured during the tasks showed no consistent reduction in attentional demand, suggesting the orthoses helped speed but not necessarily mental effort.
Key findings
01Participants completed the Box and Block, writing, and coin pickup tests significantly faster with their dominant hand when wearing finger orthoses.
02Brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, used as a proxy for attentional demand, did not decrease with orthoses for most tests.
03A reduction in brain activity was observed only during the coin pickup test with the dominant hand.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 14 participants, all female, which limits generalisability. All testing occurred in a single session, so long-term effects or adaptation to the orthoses were not measured. The tasks used may not have been difficult enough to reliably measure changes in attentional demand via brain activity. Participants wore only one specific type of custom silver orthosis, so results may not apply to other designs or materials. Finger range of motion was not measured, so the relationship between hypermobility severity and orthosis benefit is unknown.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted in Denmark at Ortos orthotic clinics. No specific funding source is mentioned in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because hand function tests were completed faster, the orthoses reduced the mental effort or attentional demand required for daily tasks. Brain activity measurements showed no significant reduction in attentional demand for most tests, indicating the speed gain may be purely mechanical.