Experimental Brain Research

, Volume 233, Issue 7, pp 2053–2060 | Cite as

Coordination of digit force variability during dominant and non-dominant sustained precision pinch

  • Ke Li
  • Na Wei
  • Shouwei Yue
  • Dominic Thewlis
  • Francois Fraysse
  • Maarten Immink
  • Roger Eston
Research Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

This study examined the effects of handedness on the inter-digit coordination of force variability with and without concurrent visual feedback during sustained precision pinch. Twenty-four right-handed subjects were instructed to pinch an instrumented apparatus with their dominant and non-dominant hands, separately. During the pinch, the subjects were required to maintain a stable force output at 5 N for 1 min. Visual feedback was given for the first 30 s and removed for the second 30 s. Coefficient of variation and detrended fluctuation analysis were employed to examine the amount and structural variability of the thumb and index finger forces. Similarly, correlation coefficient and detrended cross-correlation analysis were applied to quantify the inter-digit correlation of force amount and structural variability. Results showed that, compared to the non-dominant hand, the dominant hand had higher inter-digit difference in the amount of digit force variability. Without visual feedback, the dominant hand exhibited lower digit force structural variability but higher inter-digit force structural correlation than the non-dominant hand. These results implied that the dominant hand would be more independent, less flexible and with lower dynamic degrees of freedom than the non-dominant hand in coordination of the thumb and index finger forces during sustained precision pinch. The effects of handedness on inter-digit force coordination were dependent on sensory condition, which shed light on higher-level sensorimotor mechanisms that may be responsible for the asymmetries in coordination of digit force variability.

Keywords

Handedness Motor control Pinch Sensorimotor integration Force variability 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by China–Australia Centre for Health Sciences Research, National Natural Science Foundation of China (31200744), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2014M560558), Postdoctoral Innovation Foundation of Shandong Province (201401012), Promotive Research Fund for Young and Middle-aged Scientists of Shandong Province (BS2011DX018), Science Foundation of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Scientific Research Foundation for Returned Scholars by Ministry of Education of China.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ke Li
    • 1
  • Na Wei
    • 2
  • Shouwei Yue
    • 3
  • Dominic Thewlis
    • 4
  • Francois Fraysse
    • 4
  • Maarten Immink
    • 4
  • Roger Eston
    • 4
  1. 1.Laboratory of Motor Control and Rehabilitation, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, School of Control Science and EngineeringShandong UniversityJinanChina
  2. 2.Department of Geriatrics, Qilu HospitalShandong UniversityJinanChina
  3. 3.Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Qilu HospitalShandong UniversityJinanChina
  4. 4.Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Sansom Institute for Health Research, School of Health SciencesUniversity of South AustraliaAdelaideAustralia

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