Grasp Posture Variability Leads to Greater Ipsilateral Sensorimotor Beta Activation During Simulated Prosthesis Use
Bennett L Alterman1, Saif Ali1, Emily Keeton1
1School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Journal of Motor Behavior
|July 23, 2024
Summary
Grasp variability in prosthesis users may enhance neural adaptation. Increased sensorimotor beta activation was observed in complex tasks, suggesting variability is key for rehabilitation after limb loss.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Motor behavior with upper-extremity prostheses exhibits significant variability, complicating rehabilitation strategies.
- Understanding neural control mechanisms driving this variability is crucial for post-limb loss adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how grasp posture variability influences sensorimotor neural activation during motor tasks using prosthesis simulators.
- To determine the impact of task complexity and prosthesis type on neural adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Non-amputated participants performed simple and complex reach-to-grasp tasks with transradial or partial-hand prosthesis simulators.
- Sensorimotor beta activation was measured and compared between participants using variable versus uniform grasp postures.
Main Results:
- In simple tasks, both partial-hand variable and transradial users showed increased neural activation ipsilaterally.
- Complex tasks revealed significant sensorimotor cortex activation increase only in partial-hand variable graspers from early to late reach phases.
Conclusions:
- Grasp variability appears to be a critical factor in neural adaptation to prosthesis use.
- The influence of grasp variability is mediated by prosthesis type and task complexity, offering insights for amputation rehabilitation.
