The 6-minute pegboard and ring test (6PBRT) can be used as a valid and reliable test to evaluate functional arm exercise capacity in patients with well-controlled asthma, according to the study results published in the Journal of Asthma.
Researchers conducted a study to evaluate the validity and reliability of the 6PBRT in patients with asthma (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0393664). This test of upper extremity functional capacity was originally designed for and validated in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Multiple assessments of upper arm strength were assessed in adult patients with well-controlled asthma. Maximal arm exercise capacity was assessed using an arm ergometer, handgrip strength was assessed using a hand dynamometer, activities of daily living was assessed using the London Chest Activities of Daily Living Scale (LCADL), Milliken ADL scale, and health-related quality of life was assessed using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI).
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Among the 34 adults with controlled asthma who participated in the study, 30 were women and 4 were men. The 6PBRT showed moderate to excellent test-retest reliability and was reproducible. Additionally, the 6PBRT score was significantly correlated with maximum workload achieved in the arm ergometer test (P =.002), change in dyspnea during 6PBRT (P =.020), LCADL self-care (P =.037), Milliken ADL scale total (P =.005), AQLQ-symptom domain (P = .026) and HAQ-DI (P =.025) total scores.
“The 6PBRT is a feasible, easily administrable, valid, reproducible, and reliable measurement of functional arm exercise capacity and can be used in clinical practice for quick assessment for arm performance and perceived dyspnea and arm fatigue during arm activities,” the study authors wrote. “The 6PBRT is also useful for chest physicians for determining which patients with well-controlled asthma should be referred to rehabilitation professionals in order to increase their arm performance and decrease symptoms related to arm-based tasks.”
Reference
Calik-Kutukcu E, Tekerlek H, Bozdemir-Ozel C, et al. Validity and reliability of 6-minute pegboard and ring test in patients with asthma. J Asthma. Published online May 31, 2021;1-9. doi:10.1080/02770903.2021.1930040
This article originally appeared on Pulmonology Advisor
