Project R-2380

Determinants of upper extremity function in persons with Multiple Sclerosis: a bimanual evaluation and training approach. (Research)

Upper extremity dysfunction is common in neurological conditions and has an impact on the efficiency and independence in performing activities of daily life (ADL), especially in presence of bilateral impairment such as in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Surprisingly, given its functional relevance, intervention studies targeting arm function in MS are sparse. Rehabilitation technology is increasingly being implemented in stroke to increase intensity of proximal arm training, leading to enhanced motor function but with modest effects regarding functionality, perhaps because distal hand function is rarely incorporated in training. Besides, repetitive bilateral training is currently advocated in stroke as beneficial. However, so far, intervention studies mostly use standard unilateral arm tests whereas many ADL activities are executed bilaterally. In fact, movement characteristics and sensorimotor requirements of functional bilateral activities are still poorly understood. This doctoral project aims to develop an objective quantitative evaluation protocol for functional bilateral movements, and to identify its underlying determinants. Therefore, performance of healthy controls will be compared with patients with unilateral (stroke) and bilateral impairment (MS). In a second phase, multi-dimensional effects of repetitive versus tailored functional oriented bimanual training, the latter within virtual reality environments, will be evaluated in persons with MS as be compared with unimanual training effects.

01 October 2010 - 30 September 2014