This protocol is intended to investigate the impact of task conditions on movement strategies in chronic stroke survivors. Further, this protocol can be used to examine if a restriction in elbow extension induced by neuromuscular electrical stimulation causes trunk compensation during goal-directed arm reaches in non-disabled adults.
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Method Article
The Impact of Motor Task Conditions on Goal-Directed Arm Reaching Kinematics and Trunk Compensation in Chronic Stroke Survivors
In This Article
Summary
Abstract
Trunk compensation is the most common movement strategy to substitute for upper extremity (UE) motor deficits in chronic stroke survivors. There is a lack of evidence examining how task conditions impact trunk compensation and goal-directed arm reaching kinematics. This protocol aims to investigate the impact of task conditions, including task difficulty and complexity, on goal-directed arm reaching kinematics. Two non-disabled young adults and two chronic stroke survivors with mild UE motor impairment were recruited for testing the protocol. Each participant performed goal-directed arm reaches with four different task conditions (2 task difficulties [large vs. small targets] X 2 task complexities [pointing vs. picking up]). The task goal was to reach and point at a target or pick up an object located 20 cm in front of the home position as quickly as possible with a stylus or a pair of chopsticks, respectively, in response to an auditory cue. Participants performed ten reaches per task condition. A 3-dimensional motion capture camera system was used to record trunk and arm kinematics. Representative results showed that there was a significant increase in movement duration, movement jerkiness, and trunk compensation as a function of task complexity, but not task difficulty in all participants. Chronic stroke survivors showed significantly slower, jerkier, and more feedback-dependent arm reaches and significantly more compensatory trunk movements than non-disabled adults. Our representative results support that this protocol can be used to investigate the impact of task conditions on motor control strategies in chronic stroke survivors with mild UE motor impairment.
Introduction
Trunk movement is the most common strategy to compensate for limited degrees of freedom in the elbow and shoulder in individuals with post-stroke upper extremity (UE) motor deficits1,2. Previous studies have shown that post-stroke individuals employ different movement strategies in different motor task environments3,4,5. Dynamic systems motor control theory explains that movements emerge from internal individual factors and external factors, such as task conditions and environment6. Further, Fi....
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Protocol
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of SUNY Upstate Medical University approved this protocol.
1. Participant screening
- Perform all research methods with IRB approval by the Declaration of Helsinki.
- Recruit non-disabled adults who do not have any neurological or musculoskeletal issues that prevent upper extremity motor task performance.
- Recruit chronic stroke survivors whose stroke onset is at least six months before study participation and who have mild-to-moderate upper extremity motor impairment, indicated by Fugl-Meyer Assessment of upper extremity score of 19 to 60 out of 66, and can extend hemiparetic ....
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Results
These results are preliminary data from two non-disabled young adults and two chronic stroke survivors with mild motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer Scores of these two participants were above 60 out of 66). Non-disabled participants were right-handed and performed the tasks with their right hand. Stroke participants were also right-handed before the stroke and both had right hemiparesis. They also performed the task with their right hand. These kinematic variables between populations and between target conditions were compared.......
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Discussion
Preliminary results support that this protocol may be appropriate to investigate the impact of task complexity on trunk compensation and goal-directed arm reaching kinematics in both non-disabled adults and chronic stroke survivors.
These representative results also support that this protocol may be appropriate to determine the kinematic differences in goal-directed arm reaches between non-disabled adults and chronic stroke survivors. These findings are consistent with previous studies that ch.......
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Disclosures
No disclosure.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to appreciate Christopher Neville, Girolamo Mammolito, and F. Jerome Pabulayan for their vital contributions to developing this protocol and data collection.
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Materials
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| A pair of chopsticks | NA | NA | 20 cm length, one chopstick had the passive motion capture markers (custom made) |
| Auditory cues for motor tasks | NA | NA | Custom made audio file are played on a smart phone |
| Matlab R2018b software | Mathworks | ||
| MotionMonitor v 8.52 Software | Innovative Sports Training, Inc., Chicago, IL | ||
| Perdue Pegboard Test | |||
| Plastic cubes (0.3 cm on edge) | NA | NA | Custom made plastic cubes with 0.3 cm on edge. These were made using 3D printer |
| Plastic cubes (1cm on edge) | NA | NA | Custom made plastic cubes with 1 cm on edge. These were made using 3D printer |
| Template print | NA | NA | Custom made templates of the motor tasks, including home position, outlines of target positions. |
| Vicon 512 Motion-analysis System and Work station v5.2 software | OMG plc, Oxford, UK |
References
- Spinazzola, L. Impairments of trunk movements following left or right hemisphere lesions: dissociation between apraxic errors and postural instability. Brain. 126 (12), 2656-2666 (2003).
- Michaelsen, S. M., Jacobs, S., Roby-Brami, A., Levin, M. F.
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