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Force coordination in static manipulation tasks: effects of the change in direction and handedness

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Abstract

A number of studies have demonstrated high coordination of the hand grip force (GF; normal component of force acting at the digits-object contact area) and load force (LF; tangential component) in a variety of manipulation tasks. The aim of the study was to explore the mainly neglected effect of the change in LF direction and the effect of handedness on GF and LF coordination in bimanual manipulation task. Subjects (N = 14) exerted a bimanual sinusoidal LF pattern against externally fixed handles in trials that gradually changed from unidirectional (LF exerted only in one direction) to fully bidirectional (equal LF peaks in two opposite directions). Despite the gradual change of LF, unidirectional trials demonstrated high indices of force coordination, while in all bidirectional trials, no matter how low and brief LF exertion was in the opposite direction, all indices of GF and LF coordination deteriorated to a considerably lower level. The non-dominant hand demonstrated both a higher directional accuracy of exerting LF and higher GF modulation than the dominant one. We concluded that manipulation tasks performed in a single and two alternating directions may be based on partly distinctive neural control mechanisms, as well as that a switching of muscle synergies required in bidirectional tasks could play a role in the observed phenomenon. Regarding the effect of hand dominance, the recorded advantage of the non-dominant hand could be considered as an addition to the current views of the non-dominant arm/hemisphere specialization in controlling limb position.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported in part by grant HD-48481 from the National Institute of Health to S. Jaric. P. de Freitas has been partly supported by Fulbright Program (#15053184) and the Brazilian Government through the Coordination for the Training and Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES #2051-04/4)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, Human Performance Lab, University of Delaware, 547 S. College Av., Newark, DE, 19716, USA

    Paulo Barbosa de Freitas, Vennila Krishnan & Slobodan Jaric

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  1. Paulo Barbosa de Freitas
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  2. Vennila Krishnan
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  3. Slobodan Jaric
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Correspondence to Slobodan Jaric.

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de Freitas, P.B., Krishnan, V. & Jaric, S. Force coordination in static manipulation tasks: effects of the change in direction and handedness. Exp Brain Res 183, 487–497 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-007-1064-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-007-1064-3

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