A continuous repetitive task to detect fatigability in spinal muscular atrophy

To determine the value of a continuous repetitive task to detect and quantify fatigability as additional dimension of impaired motor function in patients with hereditary proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In this repeated measure case-control study 52 patients with SMA types 2-4, 17 healthy and 29 disease controls performed five consecutive rounds of the Nine-Hole Peg test to determine the presence of fatigability. We analysed differences in test performance and associations with disease characteristics. Five patients with SMA type 2 (22%) and 1 disease control (3%) could not finish five rounds due to fatigue (p = 0.01). Patients with SMA type 2 performed the test significantly more slowly than all other groups (p