9-Hole Peg Test

The 9-HPT is a brief, standardized, quantitative test of upper extremity function. Both the dominant and non-dominant hands are tested twice. The patient is seated at a table with a shallow container holding nine pegs and a wood or plastic block containing nine empty holes. On a start command when a stopwatch is started, the patient picks up the nine pegs one at a time as quickly as possible, puts them in the nine holes, and, once they are in the holes, removes them again as quickly as possible one at a time, replacing them into the shallow container. The total time to complete the task is recorded. Two consecutive trials with the dominant hand are immediately followed by two consecutive trials with the non-dominant hand.