Hand size representation in healthy children and young adults

Neonatal brachial plexus palsy and hand representation in children and young adults

“…2d,e). This age effect has been previously demonstrated in typically developing children 5,11 but not yet in a paediatric clinical context. Non‐linear maturation is the result of accelerated improvement of proprioceptive ability, peaking around 8 to 10 years but continuing throughout adolescence 37,38 .…”

“…The study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines for observational studies. An a priori power and sample size calculation (v9.4) was performed for a difference in outcome between individuals with NBPP and controls on underestimation of finger length, based on α =025, a nominal power of 0.80, and equivalence bouts of +17 and −17 (based on SD=17.69 from the pilot study 5 ). This yielded 28 individuals per group; considering a dropout rate of 15%, this yielded a required sample size of 24 individuals per group.…”

“…The procedure used was like that employed by Van der Looven et al., 5 modelled on the method by Gandevia and Shegan 24 . Four A4 sheets were created with 15 random images of the dorsum of the right hand (Fig.…”

“…Considering that hand representation develops differently during childhood, 5,11 we predicted that age would influence implicit hand representation in participants with NBPP and controls, with reduced finger length underestimation in the youngest group.…”

“…In contrast to an approximately 10% prevalence of left‐handed or mixed‐handed individuals in the general population, 76% of children with NBPP whose right side is affected are left‐handed 17 . To control the effect of handedness, 5 we chose to include children with NBPP with left hand preference only and compare them with typically developing left‐handed individuals.…”