PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - van der Ploeg, R J AU - Oosterhuis, H J TI - The "make/break test" as a diagnostic tool in functional weakness. AID - 10.1136/jnnp.54.3.248 DP - 1991 Mar 01 TA - Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry PG - 248--251 VI - 54 IP - 3 4099 - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/54/3/248.short 4100 - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/54/3/248.full SO - J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry1991 Mar 01; 54 AB - Strength was measured in four major muscle groups with a hand-held dynamometer. The "make" and "break" technique was used with and without encouragement, and fatiguability was tested in patients with organic weakness and patients with functional weakness. Patients with functional weakness could be distinguished from the other two groups by an increase in strength greater than 20% with the break compared with the make technique. Additionally they tend to show larger increases in strength with encouragement and their "fatiguability" was less.