Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40979467›Full record

ArticleInnovation in aging2025

From fingers to brain: virtual reality-based test capturing fine hand movements predicts cognitive function in older adults.

Dong-Ni Pan, Dong-Guo Wei, Yejing Zhao, Jie Zhang, Yanyan Zhao, Ji Shen, Han Cui, Junyi Wang, Yanjia Zeng, Yixiang Zhou and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Innovation in aging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Dong-Ni PanSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6820-2408
Dong-Guo WeiSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Yejing ZhaoDepartment of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
Jie ZhangDepartment of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
Yanyan ZhaoDepartment of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
Ji ShenDepartment of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7638-7294
Han CuiDepartment of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
Junyi WangDepartment of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
Yanjia ZengSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Yixiang ZhouSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Dingyao FanSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Wen WangSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Yuanyuan ShiSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Zuofu DongSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Qi WenSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Feifan ChenSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
CuiZhu LinSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Xin MaSchool of Psychology, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, PR China.
Jing LiDepartment of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is vital for managing cognitive decline in older adults. Hand movements are closely linked to cognitive function, prompting this study to develop a virtual reality (VR)-based wearable system to capture detailed hand movements. The main goal was to assess the system's potential in predicting cognitive health and aiding MCI diagnosis. Research Design and Methods: The study involved 607 participants aged 60-84 (mean age 67.41 ± 4.71 years). Each completed four VR tasks while wearing the system, which recorded fine hand movement data. Cognitive function was assessed using the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BJ). Statistical analyses were conducted to correlate hand movement metrics with cognitive performance. Results: Participants with cognitive impairments performed worse on VR-based fine motor tasks. Metrics from tests like the Pegboard, Block Placement-Flipping, and Tapping Tests were predictive of cognitive abilities. Indicators related to finer movements and non-dominant (left) hand use showed superior predictive power, achieving an AUC of 0.687 for predicting MCI, comparable to machine learning models such as Random Forest (0.762) and SVM (0.644). Discussion and Implications: Hand movement data can provide valuable insights into cognitive function in older adults, highlighting the importance of fine motor skills in early MCI detection. This VR-based system could serve as a useful clinical tool for assessing cognitive health and supporting MCI diagnosis, enabling timely intervention strategies for cognitive decline.

Indexed as

Brain–hand coordinationFine hand movementsMCIMotor captureVR

Identifiers

PMID40979467
PMCPMC12448613

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.