Intermanual Transfer Effects on Performance Gain Following Dominant Hand Training in Community-Dwelling Healthy Adults: A Preliminary Study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the intermanual transfer effects of dominant hand training on the functional task of the untrained hand. METHODS: Fifty community-dwelling healthy adults (mean age, 23.4 ± 2.5 Y; females, 60%) were participated. Participants in the experimental group received 15 minutes of right-hand training on a pegboard apparatus twice a week for four weeks. The control group received no training. The Jebsen Taylor test (JTT) and a 16-hole pegboard test were used for the assessment of hand function and dexterity. RESULTS: Most of the JTT subtests except the writing and simulated feeding subtests and the performance of pegboard task by untrained hand were significantly improved in the experimental group after 4 weeks of training. However, no changes in the untrained hand function after 4 weeks in the control group. There were no significant differences in the pegboard task and JTT subtests found at baseline between the two groups. There were significant differences in the pegboard task between the two groups after dominant hand training. The experimental group took 4.3- and 2.5-second lesser time to complete the pegboard task using the dominant and non-dominant hand, respectively. Similarly, most of the JTT subtests except the writing and simulated feeding subtests were significantly better in the training group than the control group. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the function of the untrained non-dominant hand may be improved after functional training of the dominant hand. Since this study included only healthy young adults, results of this study cannot be generalized to other groups of people such as the elderly. While this study suggests that intermanual transfer could have a therapeutic value in many clinical situations, more longitudinal studies are warranted to examine the intermanual transfer effects of functional gain in different clinical conditions, such as stroke, parkinsonism, rheumatoid arthritis, and so on.