Fingertip touch and pain sensitivity and hand grip strength in children

Comparison of Tactile and Pain Sensory Thresholds and Hand Grip Strength in Children Diagnosed With Specific Learning Disorder With Impairment in Written Expression and Healthy Controls

This test measures fingertip touch and pain sensitivity and hand and finger grip strength in right-handed children ages 6–12 with specific learning disorder affecting written expression and in typically developing children.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 66 (estimated)
• Ages: 6 Years to 12 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Sultan 1. Murat State Hospital (other gov)
• Locations: 1 site (Edirne)
• Trial ID: NCT07533409 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This observational study compares tactile detection thresholds, pain thresholds at the fingertip, and hand and finger grip strength between children diagnosed with specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression and age-matched healthy controls. Eligible participants are right-handed children aged 6–12 with clinically normal intellectual functioning and no systemic or other psychiatric or neurological conditions. Exclusion criteria include verbal or visual communication problems, history of perinatal complications or head trauma, and chronic physical or neurological disease. All testing is performed at a single center using standardized sensory threshold and dynamometry measurements.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Right-handed children aged 6–12 with a DSM-5 diagnosis of specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression, normal intellectual functioning, no systemic disease, and no other psychiatric or neurological disorders.

Not a fit: Children who are outside the 6–12 age range, left-handed, have intellectual disability, systemic illness, other psychiatric or neurological conditions, or a history of head trauma are unlikely to qualify or benefit from this comparison.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If differences are found, the findings could help clinicians better understand sensorimotor factors linked to writing-related learning difficulties and guide more targeted therapies.

How similar studies have performed: Some prior research has reported altered tactile and motor function in children with learning disorders, but combining fingertip pain thresholds with grip-strength comparisons is relatively uncommon.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria for specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression:

* Diagnosis of specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria
* Age between 6 and 12 years
* Clinically normal intellectual functioning
* Voluntary agreement to participate in the study
* Absence of any systemic disease
* Right-hand dominance

Inclusion Criteria for control:

* Age between 6 and 12 years
* Clinically normal intellectual functioning
* Willingness to participate in the study on a voluntary basis
* Absence of any systemic disease
* Right-hand dominance

Exclusion Criteria for specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression:

* Presence of verbal or visual communication problems
* History of perinatal complications or physical head trauma
* Presence of psychiatric disorders other than specific learning disorder according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria
* History of known chronic physical or neurological disease (such as cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, autoimmune disease, liver failure, or kidney failure)
* Presence of substance or alcohol use disorder
* Diagnosis of a genetic disorder
* Previous surgery involving the hand region
* Presence of infection and/or sensory deficit in the hand region

Exclusion Criteria for control:

* Presence of any psychiatric disorder according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria
* Presence of verbal or visual communication problems
* History of perinatal complications or physical head trauma
* History of known chronic physical or neurological disease (such as cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, autoimmune disease, liver failure, or kidney failure)
* Presence of substance or alcohol use disorder
* Diagnosis of a genetic disorder
* Previous surgery involving the hand region
* Presence of infection and/or sensory deficit in the hand region

Where this trial is running

Edirne

• Sultan 1. Murat State Hospital — Edirne, Turkey (Türkiye) (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: İbrahim Tiryaki, MD — Sultan 1. Murat State Hospital
• Study coordinator: Alper Mengi, MD

Conditions: Sensation Diminished, Pinprick, Pain, Specific Learning Disorder, With Impairment in Written Expression