Clinical trial NCT06978426: Hand-Held Dynamometer Assessment: E-Sports Grip-Asymmetry Index as a Predictor of Wrist Pain
Official title: Evaluation of Grip Strength Asymmetry Index in Professional E-Sports Athletes as a Predictive Measure for Wrist Pain
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Wrist Injuries
Lead sponsor: Ahram Canadian University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-05-18
Enrollment: 56
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 30
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Professional e-sports athletes between 18-30 years old who compete in organized video gaming competitions and receive compensation for their gaming activities. Participants will be recruited from professional e-sports teams, gaming organizations, and competitive gaming events in the region. The study population will include individuals who play competitive video games for at least 35 hours per week using standard computer peripherals (mouse and keyboard). Both male and female athletes will be eligible, and efforts will be made to recruit a representative sample across different gaming genres (FPS, MOBA, RTS, etc.) and competitive levels.

Brief summary: This cross-sectional study investigates whether a simple Grip-Asymmetry Index (GAI) can predict self-reported wrist pain in professional e-sports athletes. Professional gamers (aged 18-30) who play at least 35 hours per week will be assessed using a Jamar dynamometer to measure maximal grip force in both hands. The study will compare GAI between two groups: those with wrist pain (≥3/10 on Visual Analog Scale during play) and those without pain. A GAI cutoff value for predicting wrist pain risk will be established through ROC analysis, with additional factors such as gaming hours, BMI, and sex incorporated into a multivariable logistic regression model.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Professional e-sports athletes (receiving compensation for gaming activities)
* Age between 18 and 30 years
* Gaming for at least 35 hours per week
* For Pain Group: Reports wrist pain rated ≥3/10 on VAS during gaming activities
* For No-Pain Group: Reports minimal to no wrist pain (\<3/10 on VAS) during gaming activities

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of neurologic disease
* History of rheumatic disease
* Previous wrist surgery
* Recent wrist trauma (within 3 months)
* Use of pain medication within 24 hours of assessment
* Inability to perform grip strength testing

Primary outcomes:
measure: Grip-Asymmetry Index (GAI)
timeFrame: Measured once at study enrollment
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Maximal grip force in dominant hand
timeFrame: Measured once at study enrollment
measure: Maximal grip force in non-dominant hand
timeFrame: Measured once at study enrollment
measure: Wrist pain intensity during gaming
timeFrame: Assessed at study enrollment, reflecting current pain experience during gaming activities
measure: Weekly gaming hours
timeFrame: Assessed at study enrollment, reflecting average from the past month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Al Ḩayy Ath Thāmin
country: Egypt
facility: Outpatient clinic of faculty of physical therapy, Ahram Canadian University
state: Giza
Study officials:
References: