Author(s): Brígida, Nancy ; Catela, David ; Mercê, Cristiana ; Olhos, B. ; Rafael, D. ; Oliveira, J. ; Gonçalves, M. ; Rodrigues, N. ; Branco, Marco A. C.
Date: 2023
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/4749
Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém
Subject(s): finger tapping test; fine motricity; children; incremental entropy; nonlinear; motricidade fina; crianças; teste de batidas do dedo; não-linear; entropia
During the development process, the nervous system is constantly changing (1). The application of non-linear measures such as entropy has allowed a deeper analysis of motor control (3). The Finger Tapping Test (FTT) is usually used to assess fine motor skills, and in this study we intend to use this test to analyze entropy levels and assess the development of fine motor control in children. Sixty children (M=8.141±1.064) participated in this study. Participants performed the FTT, 6 trials tapping with the index finger on a surface as fast as possible for ten seconds per trial. The test started with the preferred hand, followed by the non-preferred one. An inertial sensor was used to collect three-dimensional angular velocity. The entropy results indicated a change that occurs between the ages of 7 and 8 years old. It was observed that 6-years-old children, compared to other age groups, had lower entropy values, suggesting that they were more predictable when performing the FTT. The 8-years-old children seemed to have the highest entropy values, which might indicate that these children were less predictable (4). These findings suggest a transition to the third childhood, where significant changes occur in the nervous system during development. Entropy appears to be highly sensitive to these changes.
