When Non-Dominant Is Better than Dominant: Kinesiotape Modulates Asymmetries in Timed Performance during a Synchronization-Continuation Task

Abstract

There is a growing consensus regarding the specialization of the non-dominant limb (NDL)/hemisphere system to employ proprioceptive feedback when executing motor actions. In a wide variety of rhythmic tasks the dominant limb (DL) has advantages in speed and timing consistency over the NDL. Recently, we demonstrated that the application of Kinesio® Tex (KT) tape, an elastic therapeutic device used for treating athletic injuries, improves significantly the timing consistency of isochronous wrist’s flexion-extensions (IWFEs) of the DL. We argued that the augmented precision of IWFEs is determined by a more efficient motor control during movements due to the extra-proprioceptive effect provided by KT. In this study, we tested the effect of KT on timing precision of IWFEs performed with the DL and the NDL, and we evaluated the efficacy of KT to counteract possible timing precision difference between limbs. Young healthy subjects performed with and without KT (NKT) a synchronization-continuation task in which they first entrained IWFEs to paced auditory stimuli (synchronization phase), and subsequently continued to produce motor responses with the same temporal interval in the absence of the auditory stimulus (continuation phase). Two inter-onset intervals (IOIs) of 550-ms and 800-ms, one within and the other beyond the boundaries of the spontaneous motor tempo, were tested. Kinematics was recorded and temporal parameters were extracted and analyzed. Our results show that limb advantages in performing proficiently rhythmic movements are not side-locked but depend also on speed of movement. The application of KT significantly reduces the timing variability of IWFEs performed at 550-ms IOI. KT not only cancels the disadvantages of the NDL but also makes it even more precise than the DL without KT. The superior sensitivity of the NDL to use the extra-sensory information provided by KT is attributed to a greater competence of the NDL/hemisphere system to rely on sensory input. The findings in this study add a new piece of information to the context of motor timing literature. The performance asymmetries here demonstrated as preferred temporal environments could reflect limb differences in the choice of sensorimotor control strategies for the production of human movement.

The Less You Are, the More You Are Helped: Effect of Kinesio Tape on Temporal Coordination

“…The superior sensitivity of the NDL to use the extra-sensory information provided by KT was ascribed to a greater competence of the non-dominant limb/hemisphere system to rely on sensory input. In addition, we found that, on average, KT influenced the short-term dependencies of IWFEs durations as well as the ability of participants to be equally proficient at producing the required interval durations (timing accuracy) for both of the two investigated inter-onset intervals (IOIs) of 550-ms and 800-ms [7].…”

“…Participants for the present study are from the same cohort as those examined in Bravi et al (2017) [7]. Twenty-five healthy adults were recruited for this study (age: 22.7 ± 2.5 years; 12 males and 13 females).…”

“…The extra-proprioceptive hypothesis is plausible since in our experimental paradigm IWFEs were performed with no direct surface opposition and while minimizing visual information, thus accentuating the role of sensory information that provides limb position and movement senses to produce rhythmic actions as accurate as possible [3][4][5][6][7]. Studies investigating proprioception have found that not all healthy subjects are endowed with same proprioceptive ability [9,40].…”

“…In a recent study [7], we tested the effect of KT on timing precision of IWFEs performed with the DL and the NDL, and we evaluated the efficacy of KT to counteract possible timing precision difference between limbs. Results showed that the application of KT not only cancelled the disadvantages of the NDL, but also made it even more precise than the DL without KT.…”

“…In the present work, continuing a line of research developed to understand the potentiality of KT in influencing the coordination and the precision of the rhythmic movement, we sought to investigate whether a relationship exists between the inherent timing skill of the subject and the magnitude of KT effect on improving the timing performance. To accomplish this aim, we use the dataset already described in Bravi et al (2017) [7]. Starting with the assumption that the ability to generate and utilize proprioceptive information in healthy adults varies with their level of motor control [35], our hypothesis is that individuals producing IWFEs with a higher timing variability may have a lower efficiency of the proprioceptive system, and therefore are more sensitive to the sensorial support induced by KT.…”