Article
The research purpose – to determine the degree of functional hand asymmetry in a 78-year-old participant during the performance of multilevel inter-finger synergies, as well as to describe weekly variability in task performance speed and accuracy.
Methods and research design. The study was an individual pilot longitudinal observation lasting seven weeks. Once a week, the participant completed a set of tasks using the «Fingerfit» software product separately for the right and left hand. The program recorded motor reaction time and the number of synergy errors. The tasks were presented in a randomized order. Statistical data processing was descriptive in nature and included the calculation of mean values, standard deviations, coefficients of variation, and ranges.
Results and discussion. The mean time was 261.47 s for the right hand and 254.03 s for the left hand; the coefficient of variation for time was higher for the right hand than for the left hand (21.04% vs. 13.03%). The mean number of errors was 66.00 and 56.29, respectively, with coefficients of variation of 30.21% and 27.09%. Based on the descriptive data, no pronounced intermanual asymmetry was identified. However, the right hand was characterized by greater variability in the measured indicators.
Conclusion. The Fingerfit method appears to be a promising tool for the objective monitoring of fine motor skills. At the same time, the results of this single-case observation require verification in a larger sample, taking into account handedness, health status, fatigue level, and standardized testing conditions.
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