Quantitative assessment of finger motor performance: Normative data.

Alessio Signori,Ambra Bisio,Marco Bove,Laura Bonzano,Maria Pia Sormani,Irene Schiavetti,Natasha M Maurits

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0186524

Abstract

BackgroundFinger opposition movements are the basis of many daily living activities and are essential in general for manipulating objects; an engineered glove quantitatively assessing motor performance during sequences of finger opposition movements has been shown to be useful to provide reliable measures of finger motor impairment, even subtle, in subjects affected by neurological diseases. However, the obtained behavioral parameters lack published reference values.ObjectiveTo determine mean values for different motor behavioral parameters describing the strategy adopted by healthy people in performing repeated sequences of finger opposition movements, examining associations with gender and age.MethodsNormative values for finger motor performance parameters were obtained on a sample of 255 healthy volunteers executing sequences of finger-to-thumb opposition movements, stratified by gender and over a wide range of ages. Touch duration, inter-tapping interval, movement rate, correct sequences (%), movements in advance compared with a metronome (%) and inter-hand interval were assessed.ResultsIncreasing age resulted in decreased movement speed, advance movements with respect to a cue, correctness of sequences, and bimanual coordination.No significant performance differences were found between male and female subjects except for the duration of the finger touch, the interval between two successive touches and their ratio.ConclusionsWe report age- and gender-specific normal mean values and ranges for different parameters objectively describing the performance of finger opposition movement sequences, which may serve as useful references for clinicians to identify possible deficits in subjects affected by diseases altering fine hand motor skills.

Highlights

Opposable thumbs constitute a crucial feature characterizing fine hand movements in humans [1, 2]; the ability to oppose the fingertip of the thumb to each fingertip of the same hand is the basis of grasping objects of various sizes and operating tools, resulting essential in daily living activities
We report age- and gender-specific normal mean values and ranges for different parameters objectively describing the performance of finger opposition movement sequences, which may serve as useful references for clinicians to identify possible deficits in subjects affected by diseases altering fine hand motor skills
Motor performance during sequences of finger opposition movements was measured by the Glove Analyzer System (GAS, ETT S.p.A., Italy), which is based on a comfortable glove able to record the kinematics of finger-to-thumb opposition movements in unimanual or bimanual conditions

Summary

Introduction

Opposable thumbs constitute a crucial feature characterizing fine hand movements in humans [1, 2]; the ability to oppose the fingertip of the thumb to each fingertip of the same hand is the basis of grasping objects of various sizes and operating tools, resulting essential in daily living activities (e.g., using a fork, tying shoes, pulling up a zipper, writing). A measure of fine hand motor function has shown to be fundamental when investigating the effects of a motor rehabilitation protocol aiming at improving or maintaining fine movements and coordination skills, allowing comparisons between sessions and groups [7]. In these studies, motor performance during sequences of finger opposition movements was measured by the Glove Analyzer System (GAS, ETT S.p.A., Italy), which is based on a comfortable glove able to record the kinematics of finger-to-thumb opposition movements in unimanual or bimanual conditions.

Methods

Results

Conclusion