Deficits in force production during multifinger tasks demarcate cognitive dysfunction.

Background: The multifinger force deficit (MFFD) is the decline in force generated by each finger as the number of fingers contributing to an action is increased. It has been shown to associate with cognitive status.

Aims: The aim was to establish whether a particularly challenging form of multifinger grip dynamometry, that provides minimal tactile feedback via cutaneous receptors and requires active compensation for reaction forces, will yield an MFFD that is more sensitive to cognitive status.