Finger tapping impairment and frailty share overlapping pathophysiology and symptoms in older adults, however, the relationship between each other has not been previously studied.

To investigate how finger tapping movements correlate with frail status in older Japanese adults.

Data were from a cross-sectional study called the Cognition and Activity in Rural Environment of Hokkaido Senior Survey 2018. A total of 244 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 75.3 years) were included.

Participants underwent physical examinations, gait and finger tapping tests, and completed self-administered questionnaires. Frailty was assessed using Fried’s frailty phenotype, and factor analysis was conducted to extract relevant finger tapping factors. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to analyze associations, generating adjusted odds ratios.

Of the participants, 18 were frail, and 145 pre-frail. Analysis identified three distinct finger tapping patterns: “Range of Motion - Nondominant Hand,” “Variability - Dominant Hand - Anti,” and “Variability - Nondominant Hand - Anti.” These patterns showed significant associations with aspects of Fried’s frailty phenotype, particularly low physical activity (P = 0.002), weakness (P = 0.003), and slowness (P = 0.004). A larger range of motion in the nondominant hand correlated with a lower frailty risk (Odds Ratio: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02–0.46), while higher variability in the same hand increased the risk of pre-frailty (Odds Ratio: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.09–4.39).

Finger tapping movements are significantly associated with frailty status as determined by Fried’s phenotype. The findings underscore the importance of further longitudinal studies to understand the relationship between motor function and frailty.