Manual Motor Performance Research Articles

Older and younger adults differ in time course of skill acquisition but not in overall improvement in a bimanual visuomotor tracking task.

Manual motor performance declines with age, but the extent to which age influences the acquisition of new skills remains a topic of debate. Here, we examined whether older healthy adults show less training-dependent performance improvements during a single session of a bimanual pinch task than younger adults. We also explored whether physical and cognitive factors, such as grip strength or motor-cognitive ability, are associated with performance improvements. Healthy younger (n = 16) and older (n = 20) adults performed three training blocks separated by short breaks. Participants were tasked with producing visually instructed changes in pinch force using their right and left thumb and index fingers. Task complexity was varied by shifting between bimanual mirror-symmetric and inverse-asymmetric changes in pinch force. Older adults generally displayed higher visuomotor force tracking errors during the more complex inverse-asymmetric task compared to younger adults. Both groups showed a comparable net decrease in visuomotor force tracking error over the entire session, but their improvement trajectories differed. Young adults showed enhanced visuomotor tracking error only in the first block, while older adults exhibited a more gradual improvement over the three training blocks. Furthermore, grip strength and performance on a motor-cognitive test battery scaled positively with individual performance improvements during the first block in both age groups. Together, the results show subtle age-dependent differences in the rate of bimanual visuomotor skill acquisition, while overall short-term learning ability is maintained.

Relationships Among Motor, First, and Second Language Skills Among Bilingual Children With Language Disorders.

The purpose of this study was to determine the significance and directions of the relationships among oral and manual fine motor skills and language abilities among Spanish-English bilingual children. If such relationships exist, this would support a shared biological influence on motor and language development. Participants included 56 bilingual children, 24 of whom met criteria for developmental language disorder (DLD), recruited based on teacher concern for language and/or reading comprehension abilities. Students participated in a battery of baseline tests to determine motor, language, and cognitive abilities. Correlations among all variables were examined for direction of relationships. Regression models explored the predictive power of motor skills with Spanish and English language ability as the outcome measure. Oral fine motor abilities (diadochokinetic rate productions of /pa/ and /pata/) predicted Spanish (but not English) oral language abilities in the expected direction (i.e., faster rates were associated with better language). Manual fine motor performance on computer tapping tasks was not related to performance in either language. Oral fine motor abilities are related to language abilities in bilingual children, but only for the native language. We did not find reliable differences in oral and manual fine motor skills between groups of bilingual children with and without DLD. These findings support a limited role of shared biological influences on motor and language development.

Motor planning and movement execution during goal-directed sequential manual movements in 6-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder: A kinematic analysis

BackgroundAtypical motor functioning is prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Knowledge of the underlying kinematic properties of these problems is sparse. AimsTo investigate characteristics of manual motor planning and performance difficulties/diversity in children with ASD by detailed kinematic measurements. Further, associations between movement parameters and cognitive functions were explored. Methods and proceduresSix-year-old children with ASD (N = 12) and typically developing (TD) peers (N = 12) performed a sequential manual task comprising grasping and fitting a semi-circular peg into a goal-slot. The goal-slot orientation was manipulated to impose different motor planning constraints. Movements were recorded by an optoelectronic system. Outcomes and resultsThe ASD-group displayed less efficient motor planning than the TD-group, evident in the reach-to-grasp and transport kinematics and less proactive adjustments of the peg to the goal-slot orientations. The intra-individual variation of movement kinematics was higher in the ASD-group compared to the TD-group. Further, in the ASD-group, movement performance associated negatively with cognitive functions. Conclusions and implicationsPlanning and execution of sequential manual movements proved challenging for children with ASD, likely contributing to problems in everyday actions. Detailed kinematic investigations contribute to the generation of specific knowledge about the nature of atypical motor performance/diversity in ASD. This is of potential clinical relevance.

A “handy” reminder

Because of the long-term risk of neurodevelopmental impairments, many neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates receive developmental surveillance in high risk infant follow up programs. There are no national recommendations for the duration of follow up but a survey published in 2014 (J Perinatol 2014;34:71-74) showed that programs rarely extend through 5 years of age. A longitudinal study of extremely preterm children published this month in The Journal of Pediatrics reminds us that longer follow up may be necessary for many children. Duncan et al showed that toddlers who had difficulties with bimanual hand function at 18-22 months of corrected age continued to have both fine and gross motor difficulties at 6-7 years of age, independent of whether they had participated in occupational or physical therapy at 18-22 months. Duncan et al did not study whether the children in their study were monitored between study timepoints or if therapy services were continued between 18-22 months and 6-7 years. However, 35% of the cohort had fine motor impairments at 6-7 years suggesting they may have benefited from ongoing developmental monitoring and timely therapy services. We need more studies that help us understand the path between early impairments and school function and studies that help us to prepare high risk infants for school and ameliorate the impact of preschool impairments. Although this study focused on motor difficulties, we know that NICU graduates also are at risk for cognitive, social, and behavioral difficulties. This study therefore serves as a “handy” reminder to maintain developmental vigilance during the toddler years. Article page 51 ▸ Hand Function at 18-22 Months Is Associated with School-Age Manual Dexterity and Motor Performance in Children Born Extremely PretermThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 225PreviewTo determine associations between hand function at age 18-22 months (early) and scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (MABC) at 6-7 years of age (school age) in extremely preterm children. Full-Text PDF

Hand Function at 18-22 Months Is Associated with School-Age Manual Dexterity and Motor Performance in Children Born Extremely Preterm

To determine associations between hand function at age 18-22months (early) and scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (MABC) at 6-7years of age (school age) in extremely preterm children. Prospective multicenter cohort of 313 extremely preterm children with early hand function assessment and school-age MABC testing. Early hand function was compared with "definite deficits" (MABC <5th percentile) and MABC standard scores. Early hand function was categorized as "no deficit" vs "any deficit." Mixed-effects regression models were used to evaluate the association of early hand function with MABC deficits, controlling for multiple demographic, neonatal, and childhood factors. Children with early hand function deficits were more likely to have definite school-age deficits in all MABC subtests (Manual Dexterity, Aiming and Catching, and Balance) and to have received physical or occupational therapy (45% vs 26%; P<.001). Children with early hand function deficits had lower Manual Dexterity (P=.006), Balance (P=.035), and Total Test (P=.039) scores. Controlling for confounders, children with early hand function deficits had higher odds of definite school-age deficits in Manual Dexterity (aOR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.36-5.68; P=.005) and lower Manual Dexterity (P=.031) and Balance (P=.027) scores. When excluding children with cerebral palsy and those with an IQ <70, hand function deficits remained significantly associated with manual dexterity. Hand function deficits at age 18-22months are associated with manual dexterity deficits and motor difficulties at school age, independent of perinatal-neonatal factors and the use of occupational or physical therapy. This has significant implications for school success, intervention, and rehabilitative therapy development.

Productivity and physiological responses during exposure to varying air temperatures and clothing conditions.

This study assessed the effects of clothing and air temperature combinations on workplace productivity and physiological response. Ten male Japanese subjects were exposed to six combinations of clothing (0.3clo and 0.9clo) and air temperature (16°C, 26°C, and 36°C) during which cognitive performance (Bourdon and calculation tests), manual motor performance (finger-tapping test), and physiological responses (heart rate, blood pressure, and skin and oral temperatures) were measured. Both cold exposure and lower clothing levels likely increased the Bourdon test performance. Calculation test performance tended to be affected by exposure to cold or neutral temperatures at the beginning of the test. Cold exposure undermined manual motor performance (especially when combined with fewer clothing items) while heat exposure significantly increased heart rate. Both cold exposure and higher clothing level during heat exposure increased blood pressure. Body temperature, particularly mean skin temperature, increased with higher air temperature and was significantly influenced by clothing insulation during cold exposure. These results provide novel evidence for the effects of clothing and air temperature (particularly cold) on human productivity and physiological responses in humans.

Dose-Response Association between Exercise Intensity and Manual Motor Performance in Individuals with Down Syndrome: a Preliminary Study

This study was aimed at investigating the dose-response relationship between acute exercise and its effects on manual motor control mediated by the intensity of exercise in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Participants were randomized into vigorous-intensity exercise (i.e., 75–85% of predicted MaxHR), moderate-intensity exercise (i.e., 50–75% of predicted MaxHR) or control groups. The exercise groups performed an incremental walking protocol on the treadmill and the control group watched a video for 20-min. Measures of grip strength and manual dexterity were tested pre- and post- intervention. A quadric trend was seen in grip strength, such that the moderate-intensity exercise was beneficial for grip force production. However, inconsistent with previous studies, neither a quadric trend nor a linear trend was evident in the performance of the Purdue Pegboard Test. Thus, a large sample size and brain imaging measures are needed to explore the underlying mechanisms involved in individuals with DS.

Impaired sensorimotor control of the hand in congenital absence of functional muscle spindles.

Patients with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III (HSAN III) exhibit marked ataxia, including gait disturbances. We recently showed that functional muscle spindle afferents in the leg, recorded via intraneural microelectrodes inserted into the peroneal nerve, are absent in HSAN III, although large-diameter cutaneous afferents are intact. Moreover, there is a tight correlation between loss of proprioceptive acuity at the knee and the severity of gait impairment. We tested the hypothesis that manual motor performance is also compromised in HSAN III, attributed to the predicted absence of muscle spindles in the intrinsic muscles of the hand. Manual performance in the Purdue pegboard task was assessed in 12 individuals with HSAN III and 11 age-matched healthy controls. The mean (±SD) pegboard score (number of pins inserted in 30 s) was 8.1 ± 1.9 and 8.6 ± 1.8 for the left and right hand, respectively, significantly lower than the scores for the controls (15.0 ± 1.3 and 16.0 ± 1.1; P < 0.0001). Performance was not improved after kinesiology tape was applied over the joints of the hand. In 5 patients we inserted a tungsten microelectrode into the ulnar nerve at the wrist. No spontaneous or stretch-evoked muscle afferent activity could be identified in any of the 11 fascicles supplying intrinsic muscles of the hand, whereas touch-evoked activity from low-threshold cutaneous mechanoreceptor afferents could readily be recorded from 4 cutaneous fascicles. We conclude that functional muscle spindles are absent in the short muscles of the hand and most likely absent in the long finger flexors and extensors, and that this largely accounts for the poor manual motor performance in HSAN III. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We describe the impaired manual motor performance in patients with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III (Riley-Day syndrome), who exhibit congenital insensitivity to pain, poor proprioception, and marked gait ataxia. We show that functional muscle spindles are absent in the intrinsic muscles of the hand, which we argue contributes to their poor performance in a task involving the precision grip.

Longitudinal development of manual motor ability in autism spectrum disorder from childhood to mid-adulthood relates to adaptive daily living skills.

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit motor difficulties, but it is unknown whether manual motor skills improve, plateau, or decline in ASD in the transition from childhood into adulthood. Atypical development of manual motor skills could impact the ability to learn and perform daily activities across the life span. This study examined longitudinal grip strength and finger tapping development in individuals with ASD (n=90) compared to individuals with typical development (n=56), ages 5 to 40years old. We further examined manual motor performance as a possible correlate of current and future daily living skills. The group with ASD demonstrated atypical motor development, characterized by similar performance during childhood but increasingly poorer performance from adolescence into adulthood. Grip strength was correlated with current adaptive daily living skills, and Time 1 grip strength predicted daily living skills eight years into the future. These results suggest that individuals with ASD may experience increasingly more pronounced motor difficulties from adolescence into adulthood and that manual motor performance in ASD is related to adaptive daily living skills.

Cerebellar gray and white matter volume and their relation with age and manual motor performance in healthy older adults.

Functional neuroimaging and voxel-based morphometry studies have confirmed the important role of the cerebellum in motor behavior. However, little is known about the relationship between cerebellar gray (GMv) and white matter (WMv) volume and manual motor performance in aging individuals. This study aims to quantify the relationship between cerebellar tissue volume and manual motor performance. To gain more insight into cerebellar function and how it relates to the role of the primary motor cortex (M1), we related cerebellar GMv, WMv, and M1v to manual motor performance in 217 healthy older individuals. Left and right cerebellar GMv and WMv, and M1v were obtained using FreeSurfer. The following motor measures were obtained: grip force, tapping speed, bimanual visuomotor coordination, and manual dexterity. Significant positive relationships were observed between cerebellar GMv and WMv and grip strength, right cerebellar WMv and right-hand tapping speed, right cerebellar WMv and dexterity, M1v and grip strength, and right M1v and left-hand dexterity, though effect sizes were small. Our results show that cerebellar GMv and WMv are differently associated with manual motor performance. These associations partly overlap with the brain-behavior associations between M1 and manual motor performance. Not all observed associations were lateralized (i.e., ipsilateral cerebellar and contralateral M1v associations with motor performance), which could point to age-related neural dedifferentiation. The current study provides new insights in the role of the cerebellum in manual motor performance. In consideration of the small effect sizes replication studies are needed to validate these results.

Associations between age, motor function, and resting state sensorimotor network connectivity in healthy older adults

Aging is associated with impaired motor performance across a range of tasks. Both primary neural representations of movement and potential compensatory cognitive mechanisms appear to be disrupted in older age. Here we determined how age is associated with resting state sensorimotor functional connectivity, and whether connectivity strength is associated with motor performance. We investigated the association between age and resting state functional connectivity of several sensorimotor networks in 191 healthy older, right-handed individuals. Regions of interest were defined in the left motor cortex, left putamen, and right cerebellar lobules V and VIII. Analyses were adjusted for head motion, gray matter volume, diastolic blood pressure, and smoker status; we then evaluated whether connectivity is associated with participants' manual motor performance. We found both increased and decreased connectivity within portions of the motor cortical and cerebellar networks after adjusting for covariates. We observed that connectivity increased with age for the motor cortex and cerebellar lobule VIII with the putamen, providing evidence of greater interactivity across networks with age. Higher tapping frequency and greater grip force were associated with stronger connectivity between the motor cortex during resting state, putamen, cerebellar lobule VIII and the insular cortex, suggesting that greater network interactivity may protect against age declines in performance.

The Aging Motor System as a Model for Plastic Changes of GABA-Mediated Intracortical Inhibition and Their Behavioral Relevance

Since GABAA-mediated intracortical inhibition has been shown to underlie plastic changes throughout the lifespan from development to aging, here, the aging motor system was used as a model to analyze the interdependence of plastic alterations within the inhibitory motorcortical network and level of behavioral performance. Double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (dpTMS) was used to examine inhibition by means of short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) of the contralateral primary motor cortex in a sample of 64 healthy right-handed human subjects covering a wide range of the adult lifespan (age range 20-88 years, mean 47.6 ± 20.7, 34 female). SICI was evaluated during resting state and in an event-related condition during movement preparation in a visually triggered simple reaction time task. In a subgroup (N = 23), manual motor performance was tested with tasks of graded dexterous demand. Weak resting-state inhibition was associated with an overall lower manual motor performance. Better event-related modulation of inhibition correlated with better performance in more demanding tasks, in which fast alternating activation of cortical representations are necessary. Declining resting-state inhibition was associated with weakened event-related modulation of inhibition. Therefore, reduced resting-state inhibition might lead to a subsequent loss of modulatory capacity, possibly reflecting malfunctioning precision in GABAAergic neurotransmission; the consequence is an inevitable decline in motor function.

Visibilidade dos braços afeta a preferência manual em bebês

Um aspecto de interesse sobre a formação da preferência manual humana em idades precoces é a extensão em que ela é afetada por informações aferentes. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito da oclusão visual do braço preferido sobre a preferência manual e desempenho motor em bebês. Participaram cinco bebês com cinco meses de idade, que realizaram alcances com visão plena ou oclusão visual do braço preferido. O desempenho motor foi avaliado por meio de medidas cinemáticas. Os resultados indicaram que a oclusão visual induziu redução da frequência de alcances unimanuais com o braço ocluído durante e imediatamente após a oclusão visual. Oclusão visual não alterou o desempenho motor. Estes resultados indicam que a formação da preferência manual durante o desenvolvimento motor é afetada pela disponibilidade de informação visual dos braços, embora os bebês pareçam ter pouca capacidade de usar a visão para controle motor.

Behavioral relaxation training for Parkinson’s disease related dyskinesia and comorbid social anxiety.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative neurological disorder of unknown etiology. Loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra of the brain is responsible for motor, affective and cognitive changes observed. No cure is available. Common motor symptoms are tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, as well as postural instability in later stages of the disease (Weiner, Shulman, & Lang, 2001). As the disease progresses medication induced motor symptoms, such as dyskinesia--involuntary gross motor wiggling or dance-like movement affecting upper and lower extremities--may emerge (Weiner et al, 2001). Awareness of the importance and impact of nonmotor symptoms has grown with clinical and research experience indicating cognitive and behavioral components substantially contributing to impaired quality of life and increased severity of motor symptoms. Yet, anxiety remains unrecognized and under treated among PD patients. (O'Sullivan, Williams, & Gallagher, 2008; Schulman, Taback, Rabinstein & Weiner, 2002). Anxiety disorders are the most common psychological disorder in the general population (Thyer et al., 1985), while anxiety disorders among older adults often co-occur with medical and neurological disorders (Raj et al., 1993). PD and comorbid anxiety have been documented repeatedly with estimates of 40-75% (Schiffer, et al., 1988; Shulman et al., 2002; Stein, Heuser, Juncos, Uhde, 1990). Clinical treatment, when provided, is primarily pharmacological with anxiolytics, benzodiazepines or antidepressants used. Pathological neurodegenerative changes in noradrenergic mechanisms may be responsible for anxiety experienced by patients with PD (Marsh, 2000). No experimental studies have examined the efficacy of medication in this population. The effects of anxiety on functioning of PD are formidable and further diminish quality of life (Marinus, Leentjens, Visser, Striggelbout & Van Hilten, 2002). Comorbid anxiety results in increased motor dysfunction including more severe tremor, freezing (sudden inability to move), dyskinesia and situational anxiety. Indeed, anxiety may produce excess disability than that observed solely due to PD. Treatment of motor and non motor symptoms of PD focuses on maintaining and improving quality of life. Addressing comorbid anxiety is an important target in this process and relaxation training has been suggested (Marsh, 2000). Despite the wide spread occurrence of comorbid anxiety and PD, few reports of relaxation training with PD patients are available. Schumaker (1980) examined the effect of frontal electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback and progressive muscle relaxation training on manual motor performance of PD patients. No effect of intervention on motor performance was observed. Behavioral Relaxation Training (BRT) has been used to successfully manage tremor of two older adults; one with essential tremor (ET) and another with ET and PD (Chung et al., 1995). Chung et al reported decreased tremor severity and improved performance in activities of daily. Improved psychological adjustment was anecdotally reported. Lundervold (1997) reported that BRT and coping self-instructions were effective with an ET patient in reducing tremor severity related to negative arousal (anger in specific social situations). Decreased emotional distress and EMG activity among four muscle groups was observed. More recently, Lundervold, Pahwa and Lyons (2009) reported using behavioral intervention that included BRT for management of PD and comorbid general anxiety. Two contemporary behavioral accounts describe anxiety and distress among movement disorder patients (Lundervold & Poppen, 2004; Macht & Ellgring, 1998). These reports describe a three component behavioral model. From a behavioral perspective, identification of current maintaining contextual variables, (i.e., setting events, antecedents and consequences) is critical in selection appropriate interventions (Speigler & Guevremont, 2003). …

Teaching specific motor skills for conducting to young music students.

This report describes a specific technique which enables young music students to acquire basic motor skills essential for conducting. 18 adolescents ranging in age from 10 to 17 yr. were trained for one school year (about 9 months) to improve their manual motor performance. The systematic training, entitled preconducting, consisted of performing various repetitive combinations of certain continuous and punctuated, circular and linear movements, with the aim of making these skills as automatic as possible. The motor achievements were analyzed qualitatively and success depended more on motivation and daily practice than on age, sex, or handedness.