How piano training affects manual dexterity and finger synergy?

Abstract

Piano training generally improves motor control of hands and fingers in individuals. The assessment of fine motor control implies manual dexterity quantification as well as finger synergy analysis. In this paper we present a modification of the previously developed strain-gauge based system for hand dexterity assessment. The upgraded system was used to compare the strategy of fingers’ control between pianists and non-pianists. During the experiment, the examinee had to track the predefined trapezoidal force pattern in real-time. Two tests were performed: in the first one fingers were positioned directly above the force sensors, and during the second test, the fingers were fastened to the force sensors to analyze the finger synergy as well. The experiment was performed on ten healthy subjects, of which five declared to play the piano actively. We have determined that there is a statistically significant difference between the pianists and non-pianist for both tests.