Sensory evaluation of the hands in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments

In this study, the intra- and interobserver reliability of the Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments (SWMFs) was determined in the hands of 15 patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. In addition, the amount and distribution of sensory loss in the hand, and the relation between sensory loss, intrinsic muscle strength, and hand dexterity was explored in 45 patients. SWMF testing had good intra- and interobserver reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.86, respectively. The SWMF testing revealed normal sensory function in 43% of all six locations. The average loss of the intrinsic hand muscle strength was 57%. Poor strength was found in patients with both poor and with good sensory function. The correlation between the measurements of intrinsic muscle strength and the Sollerman test for dexterity was 0.70.