Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Structured Motor Rehabilitation After Selective Nerve Transfers
Published on: August 15, 2019
Force-stabilizing synergies can be retained by coordinating sensory-blocked and sensory-intact digits
Wei Zhang1, Sasha Reschechtko2, Barry Hahn3
1Department of Physical Therapy, City University of New York / College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, United States of America.
Abstract:
The present study examined the effects of selective digital deafferentation on the multi-finger synergies as a function of total force requirement and the number of digits involved in isometric pressing. 12 healthy adults participated in maximal and sub-maximal isometric pressing tasks with or without digital anesthesia to selective digits from the right hand. Our results indicate that selective anesthesia paradigm induces changes in both anesthetized (local) and non-anesthetized (non-local) digits' performance, including: (1) decreased maximal force abilities in both local and non-local digits; (2) reduced force share during multi-finger tasks from non-local but not local digits; (3) decreased force error-making; and (4) marginally increased motor synergies. These results reinforce the contribution of somatosensory feedback in the process of maximal voluntary contraction force, motor performance, and indicate that somatosensation may play a role in optimizing secondary goals during isometric force production rather than ensuring task performance.
Related Concept Videos
Somatosensation
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Muscle Coordination and Action
Agonists
Agonist muscles, often called prime movers, are the primary muscles responsible for producing a specific movement....
Spinal Nerves: Plexus I
The Cervical Plexus
The cervical plexus, formed by the anterior rami of the first four...
Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
Somatic Spinal Reflexes
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...

