Accelerometry of the upper extremity (UE) potentially provides information on the extent of activities in daily life in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. A new study published in Muscle & Nerve evaluated the validity of home measurements of upper extremity (UE) accelerometry.

This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 16 DMD patients, aged 7-17 years, who were monitored for 1-3 days with two accelerometers on the UE and one on the wheelchair.

The findings showed that the mean intensity of activity and mean frequency of transfers of arm elevation from low to middle, were about two times higher in patients with Brooke scale 1-2 than in those with Brooke scale 3-4. Correlations with the Performance of the Upper Limb scale were high for intensity and for the total frequency of arm elevations per hour.

Hence, the intensity, percentage of time in middle orientation and frequency of transfers of the UE accelerometry, correlated well with functional measurements.

Source: Geest A, Essers J, Bergsma A, Jansen M, Groot I. Monitoring daily physical activity of upper extremity in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Pilot study. Muscle Nerve. 2019. doi:10.1002/mus.26763