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Research Article
Issue Date: March 1983
Published Online: March 01, 1983
Updated: April 30, 2020
Development of a Hand Sensitivity Test for the Hypersensitive Hand
Elizabeth J. Yerxa; Lois M. Barber; Olivia Diaz; Wendy Black; Stanley P. Azen
Author Affiliations
  • Elizabeth J. Yerxa, Ed.D., OTR, FAOTA, is Chairperson and Professor, Occupational Therapy Department, University of Southern California, Downey, California
  • Lois M. Barber, OTR, FAOTA, was formerly Chief Occupational Therapist, Downey Hand Center, Downey, California, and is currently President, LMB Hand Rehabilitation Products, San Luis Obispo, California
  • Olivia Diaz, M.S., CRC, is Rehabilitation Counselor in private practice, Pasadena, California
  • Wendy Black, COTA, was formerly at Downey Hand Center, Downey, California
  • Stanley P. Azen, Ph.D., is Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Article Information
Features
Research Article   |   March 01, 1983
Development of a Hand Sensitivity Test for the Hypersensitive Hand
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, March 1983, Vol. 37, 176-181. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.37.3.176
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, March 1983, Vol. 37, 176-181. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.37.3.176
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Abstract

An instrument was developed to measure the effects of a desensitization program on hand hypersensitivity. It was standardized with 40 “normal” subjects ages 20 to 40 of both sexes and two ethnic groups. Results showed reliability coefficients ranging from .74 to .82 for the three modalities employed in the test. Analyses of variance of agreement between test and retest scores revealed no significant differences in reliability due to hand used, sex, or ethnicity. It was concluded that the instrument could be used as both a clinical and research tool for the measurement of hand sensitivity.