Impairments in bilateral reaching and grasping after stroke
Session Number
Project ID: MEDH 13
Advisor(s)
Dr. Charles Bernat; Northwestern University
Dr. M. Hongchul Sohn; Northwestern University
Discipline
Medical and Health Sciences
Start Date
19-4-2023 10:20 AM
End Date
19-4-2023 10:35 AM
Abstract
After stroke, patients experience a significant loss in performing activities of daily living (ADL). For example, with loss of voluntary control and abnormal joint coupling in the upper extremity, stroke survivors have great difficulty performing daily activities such as reach-to-grasp. The paresis mainly affects the side of the body contralateral to the lesion and slight deficits to the ipsilesional side, causing an asymmetry in impairment. However, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of how reach-to-grasp is impaired following stroke, especially during bi-manual tasks. The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of asymmetric arm impairments due to stroke on unilateral and bilateral reach-to-grasp movements. We hypothesized that among healthy participants, the upper limbs would be unilaterally symmetrical and kinematically equal during bilateral reaching, while the upper limbs would be unilaterally asymmetrical with comparable kinematics between post-stroke and healthy participants. As a first step towards this end, we present the initial development of the proposed approach and feasibility demonstrated in preliminary data from a healthy participant. Participants performed reaching and grasping movements to move a medially positioned engineered cube onto a higher-elevated platform unilaterally and bilaterally. Muscle activity was measured with electromyography (EMG) sensors, while the engineered cube provided insight into the participants’ physical interactions with the object, measuring force and motion, with an IMU sensor measuring the speed and acceleration of the cube.
Impairments in bilateral reaching and grasping after stroke
After stroke, patients experience a significant loss in performing activities of daily living (ADL). For example, with loss of voluntary control and abnormal joint coupling in the upper extremity, stroke survivors have great difficulty performing daily activities such as reach-to-grasp. The paresis mainly affects the side of the body contralateral to the lesion and slight deficits to the ipsilesional side, causing an asymmetry in impairment. However, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of how reach-to-grasp is impaired following stroke, especially during bi-manual tasks. The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of asymmetric arm impairments due to stroke on unilateral and bilateral reach-to-grasp movements. We hypothesized that among healthy participants, the upper limbs would be unilaterally symmetrical and kinematically equal during bilateral reaching, while the upper limbs would be unilaterally asymmetrical with comparable kinematics between post-stroke and healthy participants. As a first step towards this end, we present the initial development of the proposed approach and feasibility demonstrated in preliminary data from a healthy participant. Participants performed reaching and grasping movements to move a medially positioned engineered cube onto a higher-elevated platform unilaterally and bilaterally. Muscle activity was measured with electromyography (EMG) sensors, while the engineered cube provided insight into the participants’ physical interactions with the object, measuring force and motion, with an IMU sensor measuring the speed and acceleration of the cube.