Using a tablet to understand the spatial and temporal characteristics of complex upper limb movements in chronic...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Robotic devices are standard for quantifying upper-limb sensorimotor function post-stroke but are limited by cost and availability.
• Tablets offer a potential alternative for rehabilitation but are underutilized as assessment tools for upper-limb movement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a tablet-based Maze Navigation Task for assessing complex upper-limb movement in chronic stroke survivors.
• To determine if increasing task complexity on a tablet can reveal distinct sensorimotor deficits in individuals with stroke compared to controls.

Main Methods:

• Twenty individuals with chronic stroke and twenty controls completed a Maze Navigation Task on an iPad using a stylus.
• The task involved navigating eight mazes of increasing complexity, requiring shoulder and elbow coordination.
• Sensorimotor behavior was quantified by Error Time, Peak Speed, Average Speed, Movement Time, and Number of Speed Peaks.

Main Results:

• Individuals with stroke exhibited significantly higher Error Time across all maze levels (p < 0.01).
• Stroke survivors showed significantly altered speed metrics and Movement Time at several maze complexities (p < 0.05).
• Task complexity disproportionately worsened Error Time in the stroke group, while control performance remained stable (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• A tablet-based complex movement task can effectively identify temporal and spatial impairments in individuals with chronic stroke.
• Tablet-based assessments can reveal how task complexity influences movement quality post-stroke.
• This study validates tablets as a viable and accessible tool for assessing complex upper-limb movement and informing stroke rehabilitation.