Control of Finger Movements after Stroke

描述（由申请人提供）：这个博士后奖学金的目标是让申请人进一步发展必要的基本研究技能，为一个独立的职业生涯调查运动障碍的人与神经损伤。这项研究的目的是为了更好地了解导致偏瘫患者手指运动受损的因素。研究已经被设计来测试的一般假设，多个机制有助于与纯运动性轻偏瘫的人的个体化手指运动的控制受损。实验将解决：1）在纯运动性轻偏瘫患者中，个体化手指运动的丧失程度如何，2）这种丧失是否部分地由于不能选择性地激活适当的肌肉，以及3）这种丧失是否部分地由于手指之间的机械耦合增加。为了实现这些目标，将从纯运动性轻偏瘫患者和对照受试者中收集运动学和肌电图数据，因为他们进行个性化的手指运动（即移动每个手指，而其他手指保持静止）。拟议中的实验应该有助于更清楚地界定机制受损的手指控制轻偏瘫的人。这些实验的结果可能有助于康复专业人员设计和实施康复策略，以改善中风后的手功能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this Postdoctoral Fellowship is to allow the applicant to further develop basic research skills necessary for an independent career investigating movement impairments in people with neurologic injury. The goal of the proposed research is to better understand factors contributing to impaired finger movements in hemiplegia. Studies have been designed to test the general hypothesis that multiple mechanisms contribute to the impaired control of individuated finger movements in people with pure motor hemiparesis. Experiments will address: 1) what is the extent of the loss of individuated finger movements in people with pure motor hemiparesis, 2) whether this loss is due, in part, to an inability to selectively activate appropriate muscles, and 3) whether this loss is due, in part, to an increase in mechanical coupling between the fingers. To address these aims, kinematic and electromyographic data will be collected from people with pure motor hemiparesis and control subjects as they perform individuated finger movements (i.e. move each finger while the others stay still). The proposed experiments should help to more clearly define the mechanisms underlying impaired finger control in people with hemiparesis. Results from these experiments may assist rehabilitation professionals in designing and implementing rehabilitation strategies to improve hand function in people after stroke.