Analysis on Force Tracking Capabilities of Healthy Adults. (September 2015) - Lee, Baekhee
A reduction of motor performance due to brain disorders can be screened by evaluating force tracking capabilities (FTCs). Existing studies have examined FTCs mainly using simple sinusoidal waves, of which repeated profiles have a critical limitation due to a learning effect in force tracking. The present study examined the effects of personal factors (age and gender) and sinusoidal wave factors (central force and complexity) on FTCs of healthy adults using composite sinusoidal wave profiles (CSWPs). FTCs were measured using Finger Touch for 30 seconds and quantified in terms of time within the target range (TWR, accuracy measure) and relative RMSE (RRMSE, variability measure). A total of 90 healthy adults in 20s to 70s with the equal gender ratio participated in the experiment consisting of combinations of 2 central force levels (6 N and 10 N) and 2 complexity levels (approximate entropy, ApEn = 0.03 and 0.06) of CSWPs. Significantly decreased FTCs (lower TWR and higher RRMSE) were found in aged adults, females, the low central force, and the high complexity. The detailed FTC decrements include a 43% reduced TWR and a 85% increased RRMSE of older adults in 70s as compared to those in 20s, a 17% reduced TWR and a 17% increased RRMSE of female as compared to those of male, a 30% reduced TWR and a 108% increased RRMSE at central force = 6 N when compared to those at central force= 10 N, and a 19% reduced TWR and a 30% increased RRMSE at ApEn = 0.06 as compared to those at ApEn = 0.03.The characteristics of FTCs for CSWPs can be of use in establishing an assessment protocol of motor performance for screening brain disorders.