Manual dexterity in school-age children measured by the Grooved Pegboard test: Evaluation of training effect and performance in dual-task
Valerio Giustino,
Antonino Patti,
Luca Petrigna,
Flavia Figlioli,
Ewan Thomas,
Vincenza Costa,
Luigi Galvano,
Jessica Brusa,
Domenico Savio Salvatore Vicari,
Simona Pajaujiene,
Daniela Smirni,
Antonio Palma,
Antonino Bianco
Affiliations
Valerio Giustino
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Corresponding author. Via Giovanni Pascoli, 6, 90144, Palermo, Italy.
Antonino Patti
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Luca Petrigna
School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Anatomy, Histology and Movement Science Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Flavia Figlioli
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Ewan Thomas
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Vincenza Costa
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Luigi Galvano
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Jessica Brusa
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Domenico Savio Salvatore Vicari
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Simona Pajaujiene
Department of Coaching Science, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania
Daniela Smirni
Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Antonio Palma
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Antonino Bianco
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Background: Manual dexterity is the ability to manipulate objects using the hands and fingers for a specific task. Although manual dexterity is widely investigated in the general and special population at all ages, numerous aspects still remain to be explored in children. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of the training effect of the execution of the Grooved Pegboard test (GPT) and to measure the performance of the GPT in dual-task (DT), i.e., during a motor task and a cognitive task. Methods: In this observational, cross-sectional study manual dexterity was assessed in children aged between 6 and 8. The procedure consisted of two phases: (1) the execution of five consecutive trials of the GPT to evaluate the training effect; (2) the execution of one trial of the GPT associated with a motor task (finger tapping test, GPT-FTT), and one trial of the GPT associated with a cognitive task (counting test, GPT-CT) to evaluate the performance in DT. Results: As for the training effect, a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the five trials of the GPT (i.e., GPT1, GPT2, GPT3, GPT4, GPT5) was detected. In particular, we found a significant difference between GPT1 and GPT3 (p < 0.05), GPT1 and GPT4 (p < 0.001), and GPT1 and GPT5 (p < 0.001), as well as between GPT2 and GPT4 (p < 0.001), and GPT2 and GPT5 (p < 0.001).As for the performance in DT, no differences between the best trial of the GPT (i.e., GPT5) and both the GPT-FTT and GPT-CT was found. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the execution of the GPT in children has a training effect up to the third consecutive trial. Furthermore, the administration of the GPT in DT does not affect GPT performance.
