RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The "make/break test" as a diagnostic tool in functional weakness.
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 248
OP 251
DO 10.1136/jnnp.54.3.248
VO 54
IS 3
A1 van der Ploeg, R J
A1 Oosterhuis, H J
YR 1991
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/54/3/248.abstract
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.