Methods

Participants

One hundred one healthy subjects (49 females and 52 males) between the ages 18-50 years old (mean=31.5, SD=9.94 years) participated in this study. Participants were right-handed, free of any movement disorder or medications that interfere with movement or alertness, and were not pregnant. Only thirty (15 male and 15 female, mean age = ##, SD = ##) also participated in the online reaction time test and the NIH balance test. Thirty-one (# male and # female, mean age = # SD =#) complete the cognitive motor task. All participants signed the informed consent approved by the institutional review board for human research.

Experimental Set-up

Subjects participated in 6 QMA tests and 5 conventional tests. A complete list of measures from each test are shown in Table 1.  As described in Kincaid et al., the QMA battery consists of a finger oscillation test, a simple reaction time test, an assessment of postural tremor, a visually guided movement activity, and standing balance tests. Also included is a cognitive-motor task. For comparison we included a corresponding conventional test, for three of the six QMA exams:  Halstead-Reitan Finger Tapping Test (FTT), an online simple reaction time test ([1]), and the NIH Toolbox balance tests. We excluded conventional tests corresponding to postural tremor and visually guided movement, because rating scales for such measures yield zero for an unimpaired population. We also included a conventional grip strength test and the Beery Visuomotor Integration (VMI), which have no QMA counterparts, but are tested for correlations. The tests were performed in random order, except the balance tests, which were administered last to avoid upsetting the sensor-screen calibration for the pointing tasks.  Prior to each subject’s arrival, the motion capture controller was calibrated for the ambient lighting and its relative position to the computer screen. Upper limb movements were performed on each side. The entire assessment lasted no more than 2 hours. Administration of the QMA and conventional tests were conducted according to established protocols [Kincaid, et al.][2], [3][1]; however a brief description of each test and its administration is included here. 
For all but the balance tests, participants sat square at a table in front of a computer screen. The motion capture sensor sat on the table, face up, in front of the computer screen. Participants were introduced to the motion capture controller by observing how their hand was tracked in a visualizer window on the computer screen (Figure 1). As they watched, they were instructed to keep their hand approximately 25 cm directly above the controller as much as possible for optimal tracking during each of the QMA tests (Figure 2A). Position in three dimensions and velocity of the finger tips and palm were recorded by the Leap Motion sensor at approximately 100 samples per second. During the conventional tests that required sitting, participants moved to an adjacent table. In the last test the sensor was mounted on a tripod to record the movement of two wooden dowels which were attached to a helmet worn by the participant (Figure 2B). During that time, an iPod used for the NIH balance tests was attached to belt around the participant’s waist, so data for both balance tests were collected simultaneously.