New diagnostic method of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as an Occupational Disease through finger synergies

Carpal tunnel syndrome affects approximately 3–5 % of the population. It causes pain, numbness, and weakness in the fingers, movement disorders, and socio-economic burdens. Current diagnostic methods are either not accurate enough or are expensive and have limited availability. There is a lack of accessible and home-based methods for diagnosing and monitoring carpal tunnel syndrome. This study will focus on motor control impairment in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. In this project finger synergies and anticipatory synergy adjustments will be studied. These performance variables reflect the neurological control that is impaired in carpal tunnel syndrome and provide insight into the degree of impairment. There is evidence that patients with carpal tunnel syndrome have reduced finger synergy and lack or have impaired anticipatory synergy adjustments. This study will investigate these patterns at different levels of carpal tunnel syndrome severity and develop a new diagnostic method for early diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Results

• Data management plan
• 3 open access scientific articles
• Participation in 2 international conferences
• Publicity on RSU websites, social networks, conferences, summer schools, and seminars
• A set of tasks for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome

Project updates by 30 April 2026

The first activity of the project (WP1) involved a series of preparatory and organizational activities to ensure the project's successful implementation. Regular communication is maintained with professors at the host universities where future mobility activities are planned, thereby promoting international cooperation and ensuring the continuity of scientific activities.

Online seminars on motor control at Pennsylvania State University are regularly attended, allowing to keep up with the latest trends and research directions in motor control. In parallel, scientific literature on synergies in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome is systematically compiled and analyzed, serving as a theoretical foundation for future research.
The project has also contributed to the development of young researchers − a bachelor's student was supervised in the development of a scientific thesis on carpal tunnel syndrome and finger interdependence.

An important component of WP1 is public outreach. The project's objectives and expected results were promoted through two appearances on the "Sporta Limonāde" podcast, where an overview of the project and its planned outcomes was provided, along with insights into mobility in Poland.

The second activity of the project (WP2) focused on establishing the research infrastructure and launching experimental procedures. A Data Management Plan was developed, which will be regularly updated and refined throughout the project to ensure data quality and compliance with best practice principles.

Approval has been received from the Research Ethics Committee of Riga Stradiņš University (No. 2-PĒK-4/1102/2025) to conduct experiments with both healthy participants and patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, allowing data collection to begin.

All necessary components for creating the experimental environment have been purchased as part of the project, and this environment has been fully developed. A measurement instrument for the quantitative assessment of finger synergy was constructed. In parallel with the development of the hardware, specialized software was also created, which ensures real-time data processing, provides the user with feedback, and ensures data storage for further analysis.

Pilot data were collected, which made a significant contribution to refining the experimental design and developing the data collection strategy for the first study. In addition, data collection has already begun using the developed measuring device and software.

As part of the project, a one-week mobility took place at the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Poland. During the mobility, knowledge regarding the methodology and practical application of synergy research was deepened, and discussions took place regarding a potential future project proposal that could serve as a continuation of this postdoctoral project.