Force Perception Across Dominant and Non-Dominant Hands in Healthy Individuals: A Gender-Based Analysis

Force perception (FP) is a sub-modality of proprioception, influenced by muscle mechanoreceptors. In studies on proprioception, joint position sense and kinesthesia are typically the primary focus, while research on FP remains comparatively limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of gender and maximal grip strength (MGS) on FP. To determine MGS, the participants first squeezed the dynamometer with the dominant hand, followed by non-dominant hand. FP was tested at 25% and 50% of the MGS. The participants were taught these target values using visual feedback displayed on a screen. Then, they were instructed to reproduce the learned grip force without visual input. The difference between the target value and the achieved value was noted as the Absolute Error (AE). A significant difference was observed between males and females in the AE at 25% of MGS. MGS was correlated with FP. Increased grip strength was correlated with greater errors in force reproduction. Overall, gender and hand dominance did not appear to have a significant effect on FP (except for the 25% AE). A clearer understanding of the effects of gender and MGS on FP could help healthcare professionals in preventive and rehabilitative fields better address these deficits.