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Influence of Inter-Training Intervals on Intermanual Transfer Effects in Upper-Limb Prosthesis Training: A Randomized
Sietske Romkema1, Raoul M Bongers2, Corry K van der Sluis1
1University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Plos One
|June 16, 2015
Summary
Intermanual transfer improved prosthetic skills, particularly movement time. The study found that the interval between training sessions did not impact the effectiveness of skill transfer for prosthetic training. Daily or twice-weekly training yielded similar results.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Prosthetics Engineering
Background:
- Intermanual transfer, the motor skill transfer from the trained to the untrained limb, is a known phenomenon in motor learning.
- Previous studies have demonstrated its potential to improve prosthetic training outcomes.
- The influence of the timing of training sessions on intermanual transfer effects remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different inter-training intervals on the magnitude of intermanual transfer effects in upper-limb prosthesis training.
- To determine if training frequency (daily vs. twice-weekly) influences skill acquisition and transfer in prosthetic users.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, single-blinded, pretest-posttest design was employed with 64 able-bodied participants.
- Participants were assigned to Short and Long Interval Training groups (using a prosthesis simulator) or Control groups (sham training).
- Training was performed with the unaffected arm, while tests assessed skill transfer to the affected arm using measures of movement time, hand opening duration, and grip-force control.
Main Results:
- Intermanual transfer was observed for movement time, indicating improved task completion speed.
- No significant intermanual transfer effects were found for hand opening duration or grip-force control.
- The duration of the inter-training interval (short vs. long) did not influence the magnitude of intermanual transfer effects.
Conclusions:
- Intermanual transfer can enhance specific aspects of prosthetic skill, notably movement time.
- The frequency of training sessions, whether daily or twice-weekly, does not significantly alter the effectiveness of intermanual transfer in upper-limb prosthesis training.
- Findings suggest that training schedules can be flexible without compromising skill transfer benefits.
