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State and trait of finger tapping performance in multiple sclerosis
Philipp Gulde1,2, Heike Vojta3, Joachim Hermsdörfer4
1Centre for Clinical Neuroplasticity, Medical Park Loipl (Medical Park Group), Thanngasse 15, 83483, Bischofswiesen, Germany. p.gulde@medicalpark.de.
Scientific Reports
|August 25, 2021
Summary
Finger tapping tests reliably assess motor function in multiple sclerosis (MS) and correlate with disease severity. This study confirms their validity and reliability for tracking MS progression and rehabilitation effects.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Finger tapping tests are feasible for assessing motor performance in multiple sclerosis (MS).
- Tapping test performance shows a strong association with the clinical severity of MS.
- These tests are considered potential tools for monitoring disease status in MS patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors influencing maximum upper-limb finger tapping performance in MS patients.
- To assess the reliability and validity of finger tapping tests in the context of MS.
- To evaluate the impact of inpatient rehabilitation on tapping test outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to analyze data from 40 MS patients.
- Patients underwent maximal tapping tasks over three sessions during inpatient rehabilitation.
- Tested variables included Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, laterality, age, sex, hand dominance, time of day, session, trial, time between sessions, and reported day form.
Main Results:
- The tapping test demonstrated good inter-trial and inter-session reliability.
- Performance was significantly influenced by hand dominance and strongly associated with EDSS scores, with an interaction effect observed with MS laterality.
- A positive effect of neurologic rehabilitation was evident, with longer intervals between sessions correlating with performance improvements.
Conclusions:
- The finger tapping test is a reliable and valid tool for assessing motor performance in MS.
- The test effectively captures disease severity (EDSS) and shows sensitivity to rehabilitation effects.
- Factors like hand dominance and MS laterality should be considered when interpreting results.
