Acquisition of individuated finger movements through musical practice

Individuated finger movements represent a key feature of hand dexterity. However, our understanding of mechanisms underlying the acquisition of this motor skill is limited. The present study aimed to identify the effects of daily motor training on acquisition of individuated finger movements. Ten musically naïve individuals performed piano practice for 4 successive days, and hand kinematics were evaluated using a motion capture system. The results showed a decrease in movement covariation across fingers with practice, particularly at the ring and little fingers. The decrease was more pronounced in the pair of fingers with lower independent control prior to the practice. Furthermore, a few finger pairs demonstrated facilitated movement independence when the subject was provided with visual feedback (VFB) regarding the rhythmic accuracy of motor actions following each practice. The results provide evidence for the enhancement of individuated finger movements through dexterous hand use during piano practice, which suggests plastic adaptation of the neuromuscular system associated with independent control of finger movement.