Nine-Hole Peg Test

What is the Nine-Hole Peg Test?

The Nine-Hole Peg Test is a simple physical exercise created to assess the finger dexterity of patients with neurological disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s Disease, among others.

This test is quite simple and only requires a few things:

• A small pegboard with nine holes
• Nine pegs
• A stopwatch

For the test, the patient simply needs to place all the pegs inside the holes as quickly as possible, but only using one of their hands. After placing the pegs, they will proceed to remove them as quickly as possible using the same hand.

This test aims to identify impairments in a patient when it comes to their hands. Are they able to grip small objects like pegs with ease using their fingers? The test will monitor this and determine if their impairment will affect certain activities of daily living involving their hands.

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How to use the Nine-Hole Peg Test

Ready the equipment.

Before administering the test, make sure to have the necessary items mentioned earlier. Once you have them, place them on a table or desk and have them sit in front of it. Then, make sure you have your stopwatch in hand.

Inform the patient about what they are going to do.

Once the equipment is ready, demonstrate the test to your patient while instructing them with the following:

• Using your dominant hand, pick up the pegs one at a time from their container and place them in the holes in any order until you fill all of them
• Then, take one out one by one and put them back in the container as fast as you can
• I will say GO to tell you to start. The timer will start as soon as you touch the first peg
• The time will stop as soon as you place the last peg back into the container

Easy, right?

‍Have them do a practice round.

Once you’ve demonstrated the test, have them do a practice round so they can get the hang of things.

Have them do the test.

Once the practice round is done, give them a break for 30 seconds or a minute, then have them complete the actual test.

Remember that they have to use their dominant hand. Once they complete the test with their dominant hand, have them do another one, but this time, they will have to use their non-dominant hand.

Don’t forget to jot down their times for both hands.

Interpret the scores and use this to help make your care plan.

If the patient can accomplish the test quickly, that means that they have better finger dexterity and that their hand functions are generally okay. If they take longer, then it is indicative that their hand functions and finger dexterity have been impaired.

For reference, according to Mathiowetz and his research team, healthy adult men can accomplish this test in 19 seconds on average with their right hand, and 20.6 seconds with their left hand. As for healthy adult women, it takes them 17.9 seconds on average with their right hand and 19.6 seconds with their left.

The test results will help you determine what goes into your care plan for them. Of course, make sure that you use the results here alongside results for other physical examinations to better inform your plan.

When does one normally use the Nine-Hole Peg Test?

This test was designed to assess people afflicted with neurological disorders that have impacted their motor functions. As such, it’s best to administer it when evaluating the patient for multiple things related to their physical ability to determine the care plan.

It’s also a test administered multiple times (hence the multiple entries on the sheet) since it’s prudent to consider the possibility that the patient’s hand function and finger dexterity could improve or deteriorate over time.

Who can use this printable Nine-Hole Peg Test and for whom is this for?

Given that the Nine-Hole Peg Test was designed to be taken by patients with neurological disorders and impacted motor functions, this test is primarily used in rehabilitation settings and programs. This means that physical therapists, occupational therapists, and rehabilitation specialists can use this. So long as they are qualified to treat the type of patient mentioned above, they will definitely benefit from utilizing the Nine-Hole Peg Test.

What are the benefits of using the Nine-Hole Peg Test?

It’s easy to administer.

You only need a couple of things: the peg board, the nine pegs, and the stopwatch. The instructions are easy to follow, and all you need to do on your part is explain the instructions, time the patient, and jot down their times.

It’s an objective assessment of a patient’s hand function and finger dexterity.

You are observing the patient’s physical capabilities and recording the time it takes them to accomplish the test. It can’t get any more objective than that. Given that the testing and scoring are standardized, you can count on this test being consistent.

It can be used to monitor the patient over time.

Since this sheet has multiple date entries, it is a must for you to administer this test multiple times during your patient’s treatment. This is so you can observe the severity of their impairment, see if it’s improving or worsening, and determine if you need to adjust their care plan.

It can help you create a care plan.

Speaking of care plans, using this test should help you determine what goes into your patient’s care plan. There are no general care plans for patients. Each one must be tailor-fitted to them. If you combine this with results from other physical tests, you can create a more well-informed and well-rounded care plan for your patient. Use the Care Plan Template to create detailed, individualized plans for patient care. This template helps in organizing treatment goals, interventions, and progress tracking.

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