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Reaching and grasping parameters with and without haptic feedback were characterized in people with chronic post-stroke behaviors. Twelve (67 ± 10 years) individuals with chronic stroke and arm/hand paresis (Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Arm: ≥ 46/66 pts) participated. Three dimensional (3-D) temporal and spatial kinematics of reaching and grasping movements to three objects (can: cylindrical grasp; screwdriver: power grasp; pen: precision grasp) in a physical environment (PE) with and without additional haptic feedback and a 3-D virtual environment (VE) with haptic feedback were recorded. Participants reached, grasped and transported physical and virtual objects using similar movement strategies in all conditions. Reaches made in VE were less smooth and slower compared to the PE. Arm and trunk kinematics were similar in both environments and glove conditions. For grasping, stroke subjects preserved aperture scaling to object size but used wider hand apertures with longer delays between times to maximal reaching velocity and maximal grasping aperture. Wearing the glove decreased reaching velocity. Our results in a small group of subjects suggest that providing haptic information in the VE did not affect the validity of reaching and grasping movement. Small disparities in movement parameters between environments may be due to differences in perception of object distance in VE. Reach-to-grasp kinematics to smaller objects may be improved by better 3-D rendering. Comparable kinematics between environments and conditions is encouraging for the incorporation of high quality VEs in rehabilitation programs aimed at improving upper limb recovery.

Decreased dexterity in chronic stroke survivors results in diminished hand use and impacts quality of life. We studied reach-and-grasp coordination and aperture scaling during reach to grasp using different grasp types and object sizes (33-55 mm). Chronic stroke survivors with hand paresis and controls grasped cylinders with the whole hand or fingertips. Three stroke subjects with more severe hand paresis had disrupted reach/ grasp coordination and used compensatory strategies for arm transport and/or grasping. Nine stroke subjects with less severe paresis scaled aperture to cylinder diameter (p < .001) but had slower movements, used excessive trunk movement, and had prolonged deceleration times. Relative time to maximal grip aperture (TMA) occurred earlier in stroke subjects and in both groups when grasping the small cylinder (p < .002). Despite deficits in reach and grasp, chronic stroke survivors with mild to moderate hand paresis may retain grip aperture scaling to object size for different grasp types.

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