Investigation of Upper Extremity Functions in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Recruiting

• Conditions: Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Registration Number: NCT06767618
• Lead Sponsor: Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi

Brief Summary

There are limited studies in the literature evaluating upper extremity functional exercise capacity, muscle functions and daily living activities in rheumatoid arthritis patients. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate upper extremity exercise capacity, hand grip strength and daily living activities in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Detailed Description

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune chronic and systemic disease of unknown etiology. In addition to musculoskeletal involvement, lung involvement can also be observed in patients. Lung involvement and accompanying symptoms cause deterioration of physical function, quality of life and functional capacity. In rheumatoid arthritis, dyspnea can be observed during exertion due to disease progression, drug toxicity and respiratory/cardiovascular morbidities. In patients, decreased respiratory muscle strength, respiratory functions, carbon monoxide diffusion capacity and oxygen consumption also cause decreased physical functions. It has been reported that upper extremity exercise capacity and functional performance are reduced in patients with interstitial lung disease. It is known that peripheral muscle strength is an independent determinant of exercise capacity in interstitial lung disease. Rheumatoid cachexia, characterized by decreased muscle mass and increased fat mass, is observed in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Since the patients' accessory respiratory muscles are also affected, it can negatively affect their daily life activities, especially those that use the upper extremities.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-01-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-01-06
• Study First Posted: 2025-01-10
• Study Start: 2025-01-25
• Status Verified: 2025-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-02-10
• Last Update Posted: 2025-02-11
• Primary Completion: 2026-01-25
• Study Completion: 2027-01-25

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion criteria for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

• Patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis,
• Between the ages of 18-75 years,
• Patients who volunteer to participate in the study will be included in the study.

Inclusion criteria for the healthy control group

• Between the ages of 18-75 years,
• Volunteer to participate in the study will be included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion criteria for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

• Those with serious cardiopulmonary, neurological, neuromuscular, orthopedic and other systemic diseases or other diseases affecting physical functions,
• Those who have participated in a planned exercise program in the last three months
• Those with cognitive impairment that will cause difficulty in understanding and following exercise test instructions
• Patients with contraindications for exercise testing or exercise training according to the American Sports Medicine Association will not be included in the study.

Exclusion criteria for the healthy control group

• Those with any diagnosed chronic or systemic disease,
• Those who smoke 10 packs x years or more,
• Those who have pneumonia or any acute infection,
• Healthy individuals with any psychiatric disorder will not be included in the study.

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Evaluation of Upper Extremity Exercise Capacity	First day and second day	The six minute peg board and ring test will be used to assess upper extremity exercise capacity.
Glittre Activities of Daily Living	Second day	The Glittre activities of Daily Living test will be used to evaluate the daily living activities of individuals.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Evaluation of upper extremity functional status	First day	The Arm, Shoulder and Hand Disabilities Questionnaire (DASH) will be used to evaluate the upper extremity functional status of individuals. The DASH evaluates the functional status of the upper extremity subjectively according to the Likert scale. It consists of 3 sections. The questionnaire scores between 0 (no disability) and 100 (severe disability).
Hand-grip strength	First day	Hand-grip strength will be assessed using a hand dynamometer.
Evaluation of arm and shoulder muscle strength and endurance	Second day	The Thirty-Second Push-Up Test will be used to evaluate arm and shoulder muscle strength and endurance.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center, Cardiopulmonary Unit; 🇹🇷 Kırşehir, Merkez, Turkey