A simple measurement of speed of index finger movement

A simple 10s test to measure the speed of index finger tapping has been developed. The equipment used was simple and portable, being only a pocket calculator and a stop watch. Forty-two control subjects were tested to determine the lower limit of normal for the test using dominant and nondominant hands. Fifty-six patients with multiple sclerosis were also tested and the results showed that 55% were below normal with the dominant hand, and 61 % were below normal with the nondominant hand. It was concluded that the index finger tapping test provides a consistent and simple objective measure for a feature of movement which is quite difficult to assess correctly by eye.