Reliability of a gamified tablet-based tapping digital test for assessing motor coordination in adults

TL;DR

A new gamified tablet test for measuring motor coordination in adults shows good reliability and could be useful in clinical settings.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel gamified digital test for motor coordination with verified intra-rater reliability.

Findings

The Tapping Digital Test showed good intra-rater reliability (ICC of 0.80 for right hand and 0.85 for left hand).

The test had moderate correlation with the Tapping Test but weak correlations with other traditional tests.

The gamified test is proposed as a novel and accessible tool for assessing fine motor coordination.

Abstract

Motor coordination can be defined as the ability to perform motor tasks efficiently and in the shortest possible time. This skill is essential in daily life, as many tasks require a certain level of coordination. Assessing motor coordination is crucial, particularly in motor rehabilitation, making the availability of accessible and effective tools to measure this variable essential for clinical practice. The objective of this study was to verify the reliability of a new gamified motor coordination test (Tapping Digital Test on a tablet interface) and to investigate the correlation of this test with traditional assessment methods, including the Tapping Test, Box and Blocks Test, and Nine Hole Peg Test. A total of 45 healthy adults were recruited to participate, performing all motor coordination tests across two assessments with a 1-week interval between them. The results showed good intra-rater reliability (ICC of 0.80 for the right hand, p < 0.001, and 0.85 for the left hand, p <0.001). The Tapping Digital Test demonstrated moderate correlation with the Tapping Test (0.7 for the right hand and 0.42 for the left hand), while correlations with the other tests were weak. The gamified Tapping Digital Test stands out as a novel tool for assessing fine motor coordination, demonstrating good intra-rater reliability in healthy adults. Future studies should focus on establishing normative scores for the test and investigating its usability and reliability within clinical populations.

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