Assessment of Motor Skills Using Standardised Tests

A battery of tests is used to assess upper-limb motor skills through tasks evaluating general dynamic coordination, balance and hand–eye coordination. These tests have been shown to be valid and reliable, and reference tables are available for different populations, allowing the results obtained to be compared against established benchmarks. These tests make it possible to identify changes in coordination resulting from training loads in athletes. The following equipment is available to carry out these tests:

• O’Connor Tweezers Manual Dexterity Test
• Roeder Manipulative Aptitude Test
• Hole-type stabilimeter
• Purdue Test
• Both-Arms Coordination Test
• Manual Dexterity Test
• Automatic Mirror Drawing Test

This service is intended for athletes who wish to understand how training loads affect overall upper-limb coordination, enabling them to adjust workloads and improve performance. Tests can be requested by individual athletes or by teams and sports organisations in any discipline involving lower-limb movements, such as football, basketball, tennis and handball.

These non-invasive tests provide valid and reliable reference data that can be used with different athletic populations to tailor training stimuli, individualise workloads and optimise performance. The research team also has extensive experience in sports performance, supported by numerous studies using these tests with players of different ages and skill levels. The tests have been applied in both individual sports, such as tennis and badminton, and team sports, including volleyball, football, handball and basketball.

The technology and protocols have been fully validated and are operational. The research team has extensive experience in conducting these studies and interpreting the resulting motor skill profiles.

• Sports Clubs and Federations (tennis, handball, basketball, volleyball and badminton).
• High-Performance Centres.
• Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centres specialising in upper-limb rehabilitation.
• Occupational Health Units requiring manual dexterity assessments in industrial settings.

Francisco Javier Moreno Hernández – University Institute for Research, Sports Research Centre