Exploring Sex Differences and Force Level Effects on Grip Force Perception in Healthy Adults

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human Motor Control
• Sex Differences in Physiology

Background:

• Grip force control is essential for daily activities.
• Understanding sex-based differences in motor control is crucial for targeted interventions.
• Musculoskeletal disorders disproportionately affect women, suggesting potential underlying physiological differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of sex and force level on grip force reproduction accuracy in healthy adults.
• To identify specific force ranges where sex-based differences in grip force reproduction are most pronounced.
• To provide insights for developing interventions to reduce hand injuries and address sex-based disparities in musculoskeletal disorders.

Main Methods:

• A force reproduction task was administered to 28 healthy adult participants.
• Participants were required to replicate reference grip force levels ranging from 10 to 130 N in 10 N increments.
• Absolute error in force reproduction was calculated and analyzed based on sex and force level.

Main Results:

• Women exhibited significantly higher accuracy in grip force reproduction than men at higher force levels (90-130 N).
• The optimal force range for accurate reproduction was 30-50 N for men and 50-60 N for women.
• Absolute error was lower for women (16.2 ± 8.7 N) compared to men (23.1 ± 9.5 N) in higher force ranges.

Conclusions:

• Sex significantly impacts grip force reproduction accuracy, with women showing greater precision at higher forces.
• The findings highlight sex-specific differences in sensorimotor control of grip force.
• These insights can inform the design of ergonomic tools and rehabilitation strategies to mitigate hand injuries and address sex-based health disparities.