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Muñoz-Vasquez C1, Sizer PS2, Mauri-Stecca MV1,3
1Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana - Universidad del Desarrollo, School of Physical Therapy, Santiago, Chile, 2Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Center for Rehabilitation Research, School of Health Professions, Lubbock, United States, 3Advanced Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy, Anchorage, United States
Background: Dual tasks (DT) require parallel processing of different cognitive components related to the selection of cognitive and motor actions. If mental processing capacities are exceeded, or if identical functional and/or cerebral subsystems are used at the same time, bidirectional interferences (cognitive and motor) can be created, decreasing performance in one or both tasks. Although there is evidence on how DT affects basic motor tasks (such as postural control or walking), there is little known how a cognitive or motor task may affect motor performance during upper extremity tasks, which usually requires highly repetitive, precise, and less automatic movements.
Purpose: To determine the influence of motor and/or cognitive tasks on upper extremity's motor tasks. This information will support educational and instructional guidelines for patients recovering from upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders.
Methods: A scoping review of the scientific and grey literature was performed. Specific search strategy was used according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for exploratory reviews. MEDLINE/PubMed, Sumsearch2, Tripdatabase and gray literature databases were searched in December 2017. Key words included: "Motor task", "Cognitive task", "Motor skills", "Multitasking", "Skill of the upper extremities", "Manual of skills", and "Function of the hand". Duplicate filters, title, summary, and full text are created. Research team included 2 clinical and 1 senior experimented researcher. Quality control of article identification and selection was carried out by an independent researcher.
Results: 13 of 2,289 articles were selected for analysis. All articles were experimental, 38.5% published in the last 8 years, and 23% were performed in Canada. 76.9% included both men and women, 53.8% included participants between 18 and 25 years old. None of the articles included participants with musculoskeletal pathologies. Regarding the performance in dual tasks, 38% of the articles reported a greater number of errors with respect to single tasks, 30.8% a greater time of accomplishment, and 30% a lower precision of the task. The kinematics was also altered, since 30.8% of the articles reported a lower speed in hand, elbow, or shoulder. In addition, 14.4% of articles reported greater shoulder muscle activity and 7.7% reported a decrease in grip strength during the dual task.
Conclusion(s): The addition of a task, cognitive and / or motor, to a motor task of the upper extremity can alter its performance, generating a decrease in muscle activity, strength or kinematics.
Implications: We must consider the cognitive load present in the conditions of daily life, since cognitive tasks generate equal or greater alteration than a motor task on the performance of the upper limb. During rehabilitation, dual tasks of the upper limb can generate a decrease in kinematics, muscle activation and motor control when progressing to advanced stages of upper extremity treatment.
Keywords: Dual Task, Upper Extremity, Scoping-Review
Funding acknowledgements: No fundings were granted for this project
Purpose: To determine the influence of motor and/or cognitive tasks on upper extremity's motor tasks. This information will support educational and instructional guidelines for patients recovering from upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders.
Methods: A scoping review of the scientific and grey literature was performed. Specific search strategy was used according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for exploratory reviews. MEDLINE/PubMed, Sumsearch2, Tripdatabase and gray literature databases were searched in December 2017. Key words included: "Motor task", "Cognitive task", "Motor skills", "Multitasking", "Skill of the upper extremities", "Manual of skills", and "Function of the hand". Duplicate filters, title, summary, and full text are created. Research team included 2 clinical and 1 senior experimented researcher. Quality control of article identification and selection was carried out by an independent researcher.
Results: 13 of 2,289 articles were selected for analysis. All articles were experimental, 38.5% published in the last 8 years, and 23% were performed in Canada. 76.9% included both men and women, 53.8% included participants between 18 and 25 years old. None of the articles included participants with musculoskeletal pathologies. Regarding the performance in dual tasks, 38% of the articles reported a greater number of errors with respect to single tasks, 30.8% a greater time of accomplishment, and 30% a lower precision of the task. The kinematics was also altered, since 30.8% of the articles reported a lower speed in hand, elbow, or shoulder. In addition, 14.4% of articles reported greater shoulder muscle activity and 7.7% reported a decrease in grip strength during the dual task.
Conclusion(s): The addition of a task, cognitive and / or motor, to a motor task of the upper extremity can alter its performance, generating a decrease in muscle activity, strength or kinematics.
Implications: We must consider the cognitive load present in the conditions of daily life, since cognitive tasks generate equal or greater alteration than a motor task on the performance of the upper limb. During rehabilitation, dual tasks of the upper limb can generate a decrease in kinematics, muscle activation and motor control when progressing to advanced stages of upper extremity treatment.
Keywords: Dual Task, Upper Extremity, Scoping-Review
Funding acknowledgements: No fundings were granted for this project
Topic: Human movement analysis; Musculoskeletal: upper limb; Musculoskeletal
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Universidad del Desarrollo - Facultad de Medicina CAS-UDD
Ethics committee: Comité Ético Científico
Reason not required: Exploratory - Scoping review of scientific and grey literature
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
