Control of force steadiness and accuracy after stroke

Purpose

To determine whether persons who sustained a stroke can keep muscle contraction as steady as persons who did not have a stroke

Eligibility Criteria

• Persons who had a stroke
  • Stroke more than 6 months ago
  • Able to bend each elbow OR extend each knee
  • Able to follow simple directions
  • Normal or corrected vision
  • No artificial hip or knee joint replacement
  • No heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, or pacemaker/defibrillator
  • No other major illness
• Healthy Volunteers
  • Age 50 years or older
  • Normal arm and leg function
  • Normal or corrected vision
  • No artificial hip or knee replacement
  • No heart disease uncontrolled hypertension, or pacemaker/defibrillator
  • No other major illness

Procedure

• A person is seated in a chair in front of a computer monitor
• The tested elbow or knee is strapped to the non-moving platform
• A person is asked to briefly activate elbow or knee muscle as much as possible
• A person is asked to maintain steady muscle contraction for 10 seconds equal to 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% of the maximal possible (2 trials each) with or without the feedback displayed on the monitor
• Both arms or both legs are tested in persons who had a stroke and only the dominant arm or leg in healthy volunteers
• To complete the test, it takes about 1.5hrs for persons who had a stroke and about 1 hour for healthy volunteers

Compensation

$25 travel allowance, free parking, and lunch ticket (if appropriate)

More information

Call 601-364-3402 or 601-364-3567 or complete the form below.

Potential research subjects' privacy will be protected and the confidentiality of identifiable data will be maintained in accordance with applicable federal regulations and institutional policies. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of MRC.