Objective: To investigate touchscreen performance and its associations with cognitive ability and upper limb (UL) function in people with Parkinson’s Disease (PWP).

Background: Touchscreen use has become integral to daily activity and communication. PWP often encounter cognitive and motor challenges that may hinder their touchscreen proficiency. Hence, understanding the factors linked to touchscreen use among PWP can inform therapeutic interventions.

Method: forty-three participants diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (29 men), mean age 70 (SD=6.75) and disease duration 9.37 years (SD = 6.23). Tools: Touchscreen Assessment Tool (TATOO) app [1], Trail Making Test (TMT) A&B [2], Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) [3], coin rotation task (CRT) [4], Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale MDS-UPDRS III upper limb items [5,6].

Results: Better touchscreen performance correlated with higher cognitive ability: out of 8 TATOO tasks the MoCA was significantly correlated (p<.05) with reaction time (RT) in 6 tasks (r=-.3 to -.4) and test duration (TD) in 8 tasks (r=-3 to -5), a well as the TMTB with RT in 7 tasks (r=.3 to .5) and TD in 6 tasks (r=.3 to .5). Additionally, better UL ability was correlated with better touchscreen performance: The MDS-UPDRS III of the dominant hand was significantly correlated (p<.05) with RT in 2 tasks (r=.4 to .5) and with TD in 4 tasks (r=.3 to .4), as well as the CRT of the dominant hand with RT in 3 tasks (r=.4) and TD in one task (r=.4). Number of incorrect attempts in typing was correlated to the MoCA (r=-.4) and the TMTB (r=.7) but not to the MDS-UPDRS III or the CRT of the dominant hand.

Conclusion: Touchscreen performance is correlated with cognitive ability more than with UL impairment. Similar to other functions affected in PWP, cognitive ability is a central component to evaluate and address when designing an intervention for touchscreen use.

References: 1. Danial-Saad A, Chiari L, Benvenisti Y, Laufer S, Elboim-Gabyzon M. “Touchscreen Assessment Tool”(TATOO), an Assessment Tool Based on the Expanded Conceptual Model of Frailty. In: Enhanced Living Environments. Springer; 2019. p. 96–107.
2. Higginson CI, Lanni K, Sigvardt KA, Disbrow EA. The contribution of trail making to the prediction of performance-based instrumental activities of daily living in Parkinson’s disease without dementia. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. 2013;35(5):530–9.
3. Marinus J, Dalrymple-Alford JC, Verbaan D, Hilten JJ van, Nakas CT, MacAskill MR, et al. The MoCA: Well-suited screen for cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease. Neurology. 2011 May 31;76(22):1944–5.
4. Mendoza JE, Apostolos GT, Humphreys JD, Hanna-Pladdy B, O’Bryant SE. Coin Rotation Task (CRT): A New Test of Motor Dexterity. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. 2009 May 1;24(3):287–92.
5. Goetz CG, Tilley BC, Shaftman SR, Stebbins GT, Fahn S, Martinez‐Martin P, et al. Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS): Scale presentation and clinimetric testing results. Movement Disorders. 2008;23(15):2129–70.
6. Proud EL, Miller KJ, Bilney B, Balachandran S, McGinley JL, Morris ME. Evaluation of measures of upper limb functioning and disability in people with Parkinson disease: a systematic review. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2015;96(3):540–51.

« Back to 2024 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/touchscreen-performance-in-people-with-parkinsons-disease/