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Kinematic Parameters of Normal Hand-to-Mouth Movement in Pediatric Populations: Adaptation of the "Rab Hand-to-Mouth
Álvaro Pérez-Somarriba Moreno1, Rosa María Ortiz-Gutiérrez2,3,4, Patricia Martín-Casas2,3,4
1Doctoral Program in Healthcare, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Insights
This study adapted the hand-to-mouth movement protocol for children to a standing position, finding minimal differences between limbs and limited age-related kinematic patterns. This offers preliminary data for developing new movement assessment protocols.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
- Pediatric Motor Development
Background:
- Optoelectronic motion capture offers high-resolution upper limb kinematic data.
- The hand-to-mouth movement is crucial for assessing pediatric motor development.
- Existing protocols, like the Rab Hand-to-Mouth protocol, are often seated, limiting ecological validity due to constrained elbow posture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize kinematic patterns of the hand-to-mouth movement in typically developing children (4-9 years).
- To adapt and evaluate a standing configuration of the hand-to-mouth protocol for improved physiological elbow posture and increased dynamic range.
- To provide preliminary descriptive data for this adapted protocol.
Main Methods:
- An observational study involving 40 typically developing children aged 4-9 years.
- Motion data captured using eight optoelectronic cameras (250 Hz) and 17 reflective markers.
- Kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters computed using specialized motion analysis software.
Main Results:
- No significant spatiotemporal differences were found between dominant and non-dominant limbs.
- Kinematic differences were minimal, primarily involving trunk rotation, identified via Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM).
- Age showed limited explanatory power for kinematic and spatiotemporal variables, with no consistent age-related patterns observed.
Conclusions:
- The adapted standing protocol provides preliminary descriptive kinematic data for the hand-to-mouth movement in children.
- Findings suggest minimal limb dominance effects and limited age-related kinematic changes in this standing configuration.
- Further research is needed to validate the protocol in clinical populations and integrate it into advanced movement analysis models.
Abstract:
Optoelectronic motion capture systems provide objective and high-resolution measurements of upper limb kinematics. The hand-to-mouth movement is closely related to motor development in children. The "Rab Hand-to-Mouth protocol" (BTS Bioengineering) is widely used; however, its seated configuration constrains elbow posture and may limit the ecological validity of the movement. In this study, we propose a methodological adaptation of the protocol in a standing position to allow a more physiological elbow configuration and to increase the dynamic range of elbow and shoulder motion. The objective was to characterize kinematic patterns of the hand-to-mouth movement in typically developing children aged 4 to 9 years using this adapted setup. This study was designed as a descriptive analysis and does not aim to provide formal validation of the standing protocol against the original seated configuration. An observational study that included 40 children was conducted. Motion data were acquired using eight optoelectronic cameras (sampling frequency: 250 Hz) and 17 reflective markers placed on the trunk and upper limbs. Kinematic patterns and spatiotemporal parameters were computed using dedicated motion analysis software. No significant differences were observed between dominant and non-dominant limbs in spatiotemporal parameters, whereas kinematic differences were minimal and limited to trunk rotation, as identified by Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). Some isolated statistically significant associations with age were identified in specific spatiotemporal variables; however, these variables showed low coefficients of determination (R2), indicating limited explanatory power of age. Overall, kinematic parameters did not exhibit consistent age-related patterns. These findings provide preliminary descriptive data for hand-to-mouth kinematics in a standing condition, which may contribute to the future development of assessment protocols. However, the limited sample size and the absence of pathological populations restrict the direct generalization of these findings. Future studies should evaluate the applicability of this approach in clinical cohorts and explore its integration into sensor-based and data-driven models for movement analysis.
