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Rehabilitation Tests for Motor Skills

Many serious injuries result in neurological disabilities that may require intensive rehabilitative care. Physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists use a variety of tests to determine whether clients will regain physical, social and mental function. A few of the rehabilitation tests for motor skills are the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test, the trunk control test and the finger-tapping test.

  1. Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test

    • The Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test measures the speed of a client's eye/hand/finger coordination. By testing coordination, the examiner can assess whether the patient has any brain or neurological defects. The testing involves the placing and removing of 60 disks into holes on a board and turning the disks over. Some combination of these exercises use both hands. How the patient performs can help the tester determine what parts of the brain may or not be damaged, from stroke or traumatic injury, for example. The test is usually given at the start and end of physical rehabilitation, to assess function before and after treatment.

    Trunk Control Test

    • The trunk control test assesses a patient's ability to maintain a sitting position, his ability to roll from a supine position to one side and then the other, and to transfer from a lying position to a sitting position. Trunk control is the foundation for many tasks that people with strokes and brain injuries need to relearn. The client needs trunk mobility to get in and out of bed, get dressed and bathe. Most rehabilitation center staffs will retest patients over time to see whether improvement is occurring.

    Finger-Tapping Test

    • The finger-tapping test assesses motor speed and control of people who have entered physical rehabilitation centers with conditions such as stroke or spinal cord injury. The client places the palm of his dominant hand on a desk or table, with fingers extended. The index finger rests on a lever that is attached to a counter. The client taps the finger as fast as he can for 10 seconds, while keeping the rest of his hand and arm motionless. This is repeated until the examiner has at least five trials that can be used to assess motor speed. Motor speed testing helps to determine what areas of the brain may be damaged.

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