Analysis of finger-tapping movement.

The piano-playing-like finger-tapping movement has been analyzed with a precision image-based motion analyzer (PRIMAS). 32 healthy subjects (148 recordings) and 10 Parkinsonian patients (25 recordings) were tested. The tracking of fingers during the whole movement increased the level of information obtained from the finger-tapping test compared to visual observation or to measurement with simple contact sensors. Different feature extraction methods have been developed to evaluate the movement and thus the actual performance of the tested person. The reliability of a novel parameter, the finger-tapping test score (FTTS), that takes into account both the speed and the regularity (periodicity) of finger-tapping, was assessed in six control subjects, with four subjects tested at least 14 times. FTTS helps in staging of Parkinsonian patients. A simple and cheap device (passive marker-based analyser of movement, PAM) has been developed that is affordable for routine clinical use.