Bimanual reach to grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury

Britten, Laura; Coats, Rachel O.; Ichiyama, Ronaldo M.; Raza, Wajid; Jamil, Firas; Astill, Sarah

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175457

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The experimental set-up was similar to previous research (Britten et al 2017 ). Participants sat in a chair or their wheelchair (with their hips and knees at 90°) at a height adjustable table.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…We calculated several parameters related to the transport and grasp phases in line with past research (Coats and Wann 2011 ) (Britten et al 2017 ). Movement onset (MO) was defined as when the velocity of the wrist reached 50 mm/s, and movement end (END) once the object moved 50 mm in the vertical direction ( z ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, we have shown that when individuals with an acute cSCI made reaching movements to symmetrical objects (i.e. placed at the same distance) there seems to be little detrimental effect of the more impaired limb on the less impaired limb (Britten et al 2017 ). However, the performance of many everyday activities requires the completion of asymmetric but coordinated movements with the two hands to achieve the task goal, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Age deficits in bimanual coordination have led to suggestions that older adults may rely more heavily on visual feedback during bimanual movements than younger adults (Coats and Wann 2012 ; Britten et al 2017 ), which could be due to deficits in processing sensory information (Sosnoff and Newell 2006 ). This reliance on visual feedback and thus reduced synchrony between the limbs could be increased in individuals with a cSCI due to their already existing motor and sensory dysfunction (Lemon 2008 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, participants with a cSCI may show differences in timing of peak muscle activity patterns between the more and less impaired limb, which may be exacerbated in asymmetrical trials when each limb is moving a different distance. We have previously suggested (Britten et al 2017 ) that prolonged movement duration during the transport phase of the movement could be related to weakness of the proximal arm muscles, particularly the triceps brachii (Gronley et al 2000 ), and the development of novel muscle activity patterns, e.g. activation of the shoulder complex to produce passive elbow extension, to compensate for weakened or lost muscle function (Koshland et al 2005 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of task symmetry on bimanual reach-to-grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury

et al. 2018

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Injury to the cervical spinal cord results in deficits in bimanual control, reducing functional independence and quality of life. Despite this, little research has investigated the control strategies which underpin bimanual arm/hand movements following cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Using kinematics and surface electromyography this study explored how task symmetry affects bimanual control, in patients with an acute cSCI (< 6 m post injury), as they performed naturalistic bimanual reach-to-grasp actions (to objects at 50% and 70% of their maximal reach distance), and how this differs compared to uninjured age-matched controls. Twelve adults with a cSCI (mean age 69.25 years), with lesions at C3–C8, categorized by the American Spinal Injury Impairment Scale (AIS) at C or D and 12 uninjured age-matched controls (AMC) (mean age 69.29 years) were recruited. Participants with a cSCI produced reach-to-grasp actions which took longer, were slower, less smooth and had longer deceleration phases than AMC (p < 0.05). Participants with a cSCI were less synchronous than AMC at peak velocity and just prior to object pick up (p < 0.05), but both groups ended the movement in a synchronous fashion. Peak muscle activity occurred just prior to object pick up for both groups. While there seems to be a greater reliance on the deceleration phase of the movement, we observed minimal disruption of the more impaired limb on the less impaired limb and no additional effects of task symmetry on bimanual control. Further research is needed to determine how to take advantage of this retained bimanual control in therapy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00221-018-5354-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of task symmetry on bimanual reach-to-grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury

et al. 2018

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Clinical, Kinematic and Muscle Assessment of Bilateral Coordinated Upper-Limb Movements Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Bellitto,

De Luca,

Gamba

et al. 2023

IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng.

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Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) often results in bilateral impairment of the arms, leading to difficulties in performing daily activities. However, little is known about the neuromotor alterations that affect the ability of individuals with cSCI to perform coordinated movements with both arms. To address this issue, we developed and tested a functional assessment that integrates clinical, kinematic, and muscle activity measures, including the evaluation of bilateral arm movements. Twelve subjects with a C5-C7 spinal lesion and six unimpaired subjects underwent an evaluation that included three tests: the Manual Muscle Test, Range Of Motion test and Arm stabilisation test, a subsection of the "Van Lieshout arm/hand function test". During the latter, we recorded kinematic and muscle activity data from the upper-body during the execution of a set of movements that required participants to stabilize both arms against gravity at different configurations. Analytical methods, including muscle synergies, spinal maps, and Principal Component Analysis, were used to analyse the data. Clinical tests detected limitations in shoulder abduction-flexion of cSCI participants and alterations in elbows-wrists motor function. The instrumented assessment provided insight into how these limitations impacted the ability of cSCI participants to perform bilateral movements. They exhibited severe difficulty in performing movements involving over-the-shoulder motion and shoulder internal rotation due to altered patterns of activity of the scapular stabilizer muscles, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis, and triceps. Our findings shed light on the bilateral neuromotor changes that occur post-cSCI addressing not only motor deficits but also the underlying abnormal, weak, or silent muscle activations.

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Phase-dependent deficits during reach-to-grasp after human spinal cord injury

Lei

Perez

2018

Journal of Neurophysiology

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Most cervical spinal cord injuries result in asymmetrical functional impairments in hand and arm function. However, the extent to which reach-to-grasp movements are affected in humans with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) remains poorly understood. Using kinematics and electromyographic (EMG) recordings in hand and arm muscles we studied the different phases of unilateral self-paced reach-to-grasp movements (arm acceleration, hand opening and closing) to a small cylinder in the more and less affected arms of individuals with cervical SCI and in age-matched controls. We found that SCI subjects showed prolonged movement duration in both arms during arm acceleration, and hand opening and closing compared with controls. Notably, the more affected arm showed an additional increase in movement duration at the time to close the hand compared with the less affected arm. Also, the time at which the index finger and thumb contacted the object and the variability of finger movement trajectory were increased in the more compared with the less affected arm of SCI participants. Participants with prolonged movement duration during hand closing were those with more pronounced deficits in sensory function. The muscle activation ratio between the first dorsal interosseous and abductor pollicis brevis muscles decreased during hand closing in the more compared with the less affected arm of SCI participants. Our results suggest that deficits in movement kinematics during reach-to-grasp movements are more pronounced at the time to close the hand in the more affected arm of SCI participants, likely related to deficits in EMG muscle activation and sensory function. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Humans with cervical spinal cord injury usually present asymmetrical functional impairments in hand and arm function. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that deficits in movement kinematics during reaching and grasping movements are more pronounced at the time to close the hand in the more affected arm of spinal cord injury. We suggest that this is in part related to deficits in muscle activation ratios between hand muscles and a decrease in sensory function.

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Bimanual reach to grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury

Cited by 7 publications

References 45 publications

The effect of task symmetry on bimanual reach-to-grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury

The effect of task symmetry on bimanual reach-to-grasp movements after cervical spinal cord injury

Clinical, Kinematic and Muscle Assessment of Bilateral Coordinated Upper-Limb Movements Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Phase-dependent deficits during reach-to-grasp after human spinal cord injury

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