[PP-3-1] ポスター：基礎研究 3Characteristics of hand-intrinsic muscle activities in manipulating real and simulated foods with chopsticks.
Introduction
In Asia, eating with chopsticks is one of the important daily activities that requires fine motor-skills, and has been applied to rehabilitation for patients with hand dysfunction. Although using real food in chopsticks training is considered beneficial and recommendable better than simulated food, the difference in the electromyographic activities between using real and simulated foods has not been adequately discussed. The aim of this study was to compare hand-intrinsic muscle activities between real and simulated foods in chopsticks manipulation.
Methods
Six healthy subjects (22.0 ± 0.5 years) picked up and hold the real (Tamagoyaki, 25g, 22 mm width) or simulated food (Sponge, 25g, 22 mm width) for 10 seconds using chopsticks. The surface electromyographic signals of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) were monitored while holding each type of food. In order to investigate coordination of hand intrinsic muscles, we calculated the ratio of FDI and APB. Moreover, a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to assess the level of difficulty that they experienced when picking up the real and simulated food. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the difference of the outcomes between real and simulated foods. The study was approved by ethic committee of the university and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Results
The amount of muscle activities of FDI and APB, and VAS in real food were significantly larger than those of simulated food. However, the ratio of FDI and APB did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.17).
Conclusion
Manipulating real food with chopsticks required more amount of muscle activities of hand-intrinsic muscles and showed higher difficulty. The differences are considered to be caused by the slippery surface of Tamagoyaki compared with the sponge. However, the ratio of FDI and APB showed no significant difference between food types. These results may suggest that the muscle coordination during chopsticks manipulation is consistent regardless of material frictional coefficient. From the viewpoint of hand-intrinsic muscle coordination, in other words, chopsticks training with simulated food could have equal benefits as the training with real food.
In Asia, eating with chopsticks is one of the important daily activities that requires fine motor-skills, and has been applied to rehabilitation for patients with hand dysfunction. Although using real food in chopsticks training is considered beneficial and recommendable better than simulated food, the difference in the electromyographic activities between using real and simulated foods has not been adequately discussed. The aim of this study was to compare hand-intrinsic muscle activities between real and simulated foods in chopsticks manipulation.
Methods
Six healthy subjects (22.0 ± 0.5 years) picked up and hold the real (Tamagoyaki, 25g, 22 mm width) or simulated food (Sponge, 25g, 22 mm width) for 10 seconds using chopsticks. The surface electromyographic signals of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) were monitored while holding each type of food. In order to investigate coordination of hand intrinsic muscles, we calculated the ratio of FDI and APB. Moreover, a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to assess the level of difficulty that they experienced when picking up the real and simulated food. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the difference of the outcomes between real and simulated foods. The study was approved by ethic committee of the university and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Results
The amount of muscle activities of FDI and APB, and VAS in real food were significantly larger than those of simulated food. However, the ratio of FDI and APB did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.17).
Conclusion
Manipulating real food with chopsticks required more amount of muscle activities of hand-intrinsic muscles and showed higher difficulty. The differences are considered to be caused by the slippery surface of Tamagoyaki compared with the sponge. However, the ratio of FDI and APB showed no significant difference between food types. These results may suggest that the muscle coordination during chopsticks manipulation is consistent regardless of material frictional coefficient. From the viewpoint of hand-intrinsic muscle coordination, in other words, chopsticks training with simulated food could have equal benefits as the training with real food.