Intermanual transfer of effects of motor learning from the dominant to non-dominant hand using a grip force retaining task

Abstract

We investigated the effect of motor learning of a grip force-retaining task with the dominant hand on the transfer of that learning to the non-dominant hand. Seventy right-handed healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. These subjects were randomly divided into seven groups classified by frequency of knowledge of results. In motor learning, all subjects performed a grip force adjusting task consisting of 30 trials. The task was to press a grip force measurer with a force that the subject estimated to be 20% of the maximum force. To test the effectiveness, an initial test and retention tests of 5 mins, 1 day, and 1 week after an acquisition phase were performed with 5 trials each on the dominant and non-dominant hands. The efficiency of motor learning was determined by the error value of the retention test. The effect of the retention test was determined by comparing the initial test with each of the 3 phases of the retention tests. The effect of intermanual transfer was determined by correlation coefficients between the dominant and non-dominant hands. Our results revealed that there was a strong relationship between the groups with highly efficient motor learning and correlation coefficients of error of the grip force between the dominant and non-dominant hands. We need to develop a program for more efficient motor learning using the dominant hand. Copyright © 2006 by the Society of Physical Therapy Science.