Hands-on research garners MS grant

Slobodan Jaric, associate professor of health and exercise sciences, has a temporary patent on a diagnostic device for measuring hand function more precisely than has been possible before.

3:09 p.m., Dec. 31, 2004--Slobodan Jaric literally carries out hands-on research. The associate professor of health and exercise sciences at UD has a temporary patent on a diagnostic device for measuring hand function more precisely than has been possible before.

Jaric recently received a $44,000 grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society for the project, which was initially supported by a University of Delaware Research Foundation grant. Others involved in different phases of the project include Christopher Knight, assistant professor of health and exercise sciences, and John Scholz, associate professor of physical therapy, grad students Rahul Marwaha, Leanna Ferrand and Jeffrey Collins and undergrad Elizabeth Russell.

There are two components of proper hand function, according to Jaric--a precise hand force against an external hand-held object, like pushing a hand against a table or lifting a cup, and a sufficient, but not excessive, hand grip force, when a hand grasps an object.

Persons with MS, and other neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s, can have difficulties in performing everyday tasks because they do not coordinate these two forces well.

The device to measure hand function more accurately may provide a way to measure the effects of therapeutic treatment MS patients are receiving and to measure recovery and relapse they experience with the disorder, Jaric said. The project also may lead to a better understanding of why there are MS-associated problems with brain function and also provide a means of studying the difference between dominant and nondominant hands in healthy individuals.

Up to now, hand-function tests for those with MS have not been accurate and have not picked up the degree of impairment a patient may have, Jaric said. “The current tests involve grasping a doctor’s hand or performing simple tasks, and persons with mild MS may appear to be almost normal. The device we are developing is more sensitive and is a much more reliable,” Jaric said.

Grad student Rahul Marwaha uses the device to measure hand-grip strength.

The device is a T-shaped, rod-like, plastic tool, that was made by UD’s mechanical engineering department and can measure hand function. It is linked to a computer, and when an individual performs tasks like grasping and relaxing or exerting force by pressing and pushing, a graph, similar to an EKG, appears on the screen, showing how efficient the hand function is.

Jaric’s research involves testing healthy individuals and comparing the results with those from persons with MS to create a reliable database. “The persons with MS have been very cooperative and interested. Since we are still in the initial phase of our research, we are currently comparing our results with standard neurological and other clinical tests to assess the validity of our approach,” he said.

“Our goal is to create a simple and inexpensive diagnostic tool, about the size of a large pen, which doctors can use to test hand function more accurately for patients who have neurological problems, such as Parkinson’s disease or strokes,” Jaric said. “Therefore, we have to gradually create a clinical test for using this tool to provide reliable and sensitive indices of hand function.”

Jaric received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Belgrade. He joined the UD faculty in 2002 from the University of Umea in Sweden. His research interests are motor control and learning and sports biomechanics.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photos by Kevin Quinlan

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