Twenty Seconds of Finger Tapping: A Borderland for Contralateral Transfer of Repeated Bout Rate Enhancement

Highlights: Repeated bout rate enhancement is reported for bouts of freely chosen finger tapping. The phenomenon has also been reported to be transferred from one hand to the other. Previously, ۳-min bouts were performed – here, bouts lasted merely ۲۰ s. Rate enhancement only occurred when first bout was done with the non-dominant hand. ۲۰ s of tapping appears to be a borderland for elicitation of contralateral transfer. Abstract Background: To test the hypothesis that a ۲۰-s bout of unilateral index finger tapping, followed by ۱۰ min rest, increases the freely chosen tapping rate performed by the contralateral index finger, in a second ۲۰-s bout. Methods: Twenty healthy adults performed tapping with the index finger on one hand followed by a ۱۰ min rest period and tapping with the other index finger. Tapping was performed at freely chosen rate. Testing was performed with dominant hand first as well as in the opposite order. Results: Freely chosen tapping rates from the first bouts were ۱۶۱.۶±۹۴.۲ and ۱۶۲.۸±۸۰.۳ taps per min for the dominant and non-dominant hand, respectively (p=۰.۹۰۳; R=۰.۸۹, p<۰.۰۰۱). When bout one was performed with the non-dominant hand, the rate increased by ۱۵.۰%±۲۲.۳% in about two (p=۰.۰۰۸). In the opposite order, the rate remained similar (+۴.۸%±۱۷.۹%, but p=۰.۶۵۵). Conclusion: Based on the present, as well as previously published results, the interpretation is that ۲۰ s of initial index finger tapping appears to constitute a borderland for elicitation of subsequent contralateral excitation of freely chosen tapping rate.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cross-limb Transfer ، Interlimb Transfer ، Motor Control ، Preferred Tapping Frequency ، Rhythmicity