Abstract
Background: In most daily activities, we are required to use both hands. In many motor skills like playing guitar, the left and right hand must perform asymmetric movements with different timing. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of learning in various asymmetrical bimanual tasks and to evaluate the transfer to tasks with converse hand movements. Methods: Thirty right-handed male students (age 21.5 ± 1.3 years) who had no motor disorders were divided into three groups. Participants of each group were trained for four days after a pretest. All participants performed asymmetrical bimanual drawing of a circle with each hand. Participants in the first group differed in terms of load in each hand, those in the second group differed in the speed of hand movement and those in the third group differed in the range of motion. The test was carried out in simultaneous bimanual movement both as practiced (learning acquisition test) and substitution of patterns between the two hands (transfer test). To analyze the data, repeated measures analysis of variance was performed. Results: For the acquisition test, significant differences were found between the results of the pretest, the posttest, and the retention test across all three groups. In terms of the transfer test, the first group showed a significantly better performance than their performance on the acquisition (p = .001). No such differences were found between the performance of the second group on the two tests (p = .945). Finally, the third group performed significantly better on the transfer test than on the acquisition test. (p = .047). Conclusions: The present study found similar effects of motor learning on various asymmetrical bimanual motor tasks, but different inter-group performance on learning and transfer tasks.
Highlights
Some of the daily motor skills involve precise timing for using both hands
Acquisition tests In within group effects test with repeated measures for asymmetric bimanual movement in three experimental groups the factor of time was significant in acquisition tests (F = 36.55, p < .001, η2 = .575); that is the exercises have enhanced the bimanual tasks Considering the mean percentage of correct movement, the results indicated that in all three groups, the trend of changes has inclined toward the enhancement of bimanual movements
Transfer tests For asymmetric bimanual movements in transfer tests, within group effects using repeated measures in three experimental groups in transfer tests, the factor of time was significant (F = 5.29, p < .001, η2 = .164); that is the practices have improved bimanual movements in transfer tests in general
Summary
Some of the daily motor skills involve precise timing for using both hands. Most of these skills such as opening a bottle, typing, or playing the guitar involve using the two hands differently. A good majority of studies have revealed that doing two different tasks with the two hands, when each hand performs a different action simultaneously, incurs bilateral interference even when each hand can perform separately without difficulty (Klapp, Nelson, & Jagacinski, 1998; Kurtz & Lee, 2003) These observations make it clear that the central nervous system (CNS) can control symmetric bimanual movements without any problem while it is Regarding how bimanual movements are controlled by the CNS, there have been various theories in whose interpretation of these movements there are critical contradictions and differences. In many motor skills like playing guitar, the left and right hand must perform asymmetric movements with different timing. Conclusions: The present study found similar effects of motor learning on various asymmetrical bimanual motor tasks, but different inter-group performance on learning and transfer tasks
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