Cognitive and Motor Abilities Predict Auditory-Cued Finger Tapping in a Dual Task

Mohammed A Mudarris^1,2,3*Renske N Krijt¹Allyah M Hassell⁴Tanya M Murphy¹Marit Ruitenberg^1,3Marjolein Fokkema⁵Rebecca S. Schaefer^1,3,6

• ¹Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
• ²Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences and Media, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• ³Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
• ⁴Department of Psychology, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
• ⁵Methodology and Statistics Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculy of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
• ⁶Leiden University, Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, Faculty of Humanities, Leiden, Netherlands

Rhythmic auditory stimulation, a therapeutic method involving repetitive movements cued by rhythmic sounds, can support movement (re-)learning and attentional orienting, but effects vary. While properties of cues have been extensively studied, not much is known about the impact of individual differences in cognitive and motor abilities that enable sensorimotor synchronization. This study examined how stimulus complexity (metronome/music) and cognitive and motor functions affect tapping timing consistency and force. Fifty healthy young adults (ages 18-39) performed several finger tapping tasks, specifically, as a stand-alone task (single task), and simultaneously with 2-Back working memory task (dual task), each to sounds with a clear, steady beat and differing levels of rhythmic complexity (metronome vs. music). Standardized neuropsychological tests were related to consistency and force in the single task and to their dual task cost (interference). The dual task led to lower tapping consistency for both auditory cues. Poorer cognitive inhibition and better gross motor ability each predicted greater applied force. In contrast, participants with poorer fine motor ability tapped with lower force. An inverse U-shape relation emerged (but did not survive sensitivity analysis) between fine motor ability and tapping timing consistency, where both poorer and better fine motor abilities predicted higher consistency. These non-linear relationships were shown for both single and dual tasks, but not for the dual task cost. Overall, this study highlights the complex interactions of movement functions and cognitive abilities with sensorimotor synchronization, essential to many musicbased interventions, and underlines the importance of the consideration of individual baseline abilities.