The purpose of this study is to use Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) while subjects are making reaching movements in a robotic arm device in order to discover how different brain areas control movement before and after stroke and when these brain areas are most sensitive to TMS.
Be 45-90 years of age
Have adequate language and neurocognitive function to participate in training and testing
Be medically stable to participate in the study
Be English speaking
Unable to give informed consent
Have a serious complicating medical illness that would preclude participation
Contractures or orthopedic problems limiting range of joint motion in the potential study arm or other impairments that would interfere with the study activities
Visual loss such that the subject would not be able to see the test patterns on the robot computer monitor
Single group
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
DevicePaired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation
Path length
Movement path length in centimeters from KINARM system during the one second reaching period. (units: cm)
Times
Specific kinematic data from KINARM system: reaction time, movement time to reach target (units: ms)
Velocities
maximum velocity reached during reach (units: cm/s)
Accuracy
specific position data from KINARM system: target accuracy, distance from manipulandum position at end of one second reaching period to target center. (units: cm.)
EMG
Electromyographic data from surface electrodes on biceps, triceps, anterior deltoid, and posterior deltoid muscles - These signals will be rectified and normalized to the maximum values during practice reaches. (units: mV/mV - dimensionless).
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VA Office of Research and Development
Lead sponsor
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Collaborator
University of Pittsburgh
Collaborator
