Which tests are used to assess dysmetria?

• A. Finger to nose and finger to therapist finger
• B. Heel to shin
• C. Both A and B
• D. None

Answer: (C)

Dysmetria is a difficulty in judging the distance or range of a movement, a sign that the cerebellum is not properly calibrating your motions. In the finger-to-nose test, you repeatedly reach from your finger to your nose and to the examiner’s finger, and the movements should be precise and follow a smooth trajectory. If you overshoot or undershoot the target or the path is jagged, that indicates dysmetria. In the heel-to-shin test, you roll the heel along the shin in a straight, controlled line; deviations, overshooting, or an irregular path signal dysmetria as well. Because both upper- and lower-limb tasks rely on the same cerebellar calibration of movement, both tests are used to assess dysmetria.