Effect of Tapping Bout Duration During Freely Chosen and Passive Finger Tapping on Rate Enhancement

Abstract

The present study investigated whether the duration of the first tapping bout, which could also be considered ‘the priming’, would play a role for the occurrence of the behavioral phenomenon termed repeated bout rate enhancement. Eighty-eight healthy individuals were recruited. Sixty-three of these demonstrated repeated bout rate enhancement and they were assigned to two different groups, which performed either active or passive tapping as priming. The durations of the first tapping bouts, which acted as priming, were 20, 60, 120, and 180 s. Following the first bout there was a 10 min rest and a subsequent 180 s tapping bout performed at freely chosen tapping rate. Vertical displacement and tapping force data were recorded. Rate enhancement was elicited independently of the duration of the first bout in both groups. Rate enhancement occurred without concurrent changes of the magnitude of vertical displacement, time to peak force, and duration of finger contact phase. The peak force was reduced when 180 s of tapping had been performed as priming. The increased tapping rate following priming by as little as 20 s active or passive tapping, as observed here, is suggested to be a result of increased net excitability of the nervous system.

Keywords:

• excitability
• finger tapping frequency
• modulatory effects
• movement priming

Acknowledgments

The participants are thanked for their cooperation.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The present research was conducted without any financial or commercial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

EH and AE developed the initial idea for the study. All authors contributed to the planning of the study design. AE performed the data collection. AE and MV performed most of the data analyses assisted by PM and EH. All authors contributed to the interpretation of the results. AE completed the first draft of the manuscript. All authors participated in revising of drafts to finalize the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The present research is supported by The Ministry of Culture Research Committee in Denmark (grant No. FPK.2017-0005).