Bimanual Coordination Training To Improve Upper Limb Function Post Stroke

With stroke being the 4th leading cause of death in the United States and expected to only increase in the near future, the significance of preventative and rehabilitative measures is ever more pressing. While there is a current body of research to show that most recovering stroke patients regain the use of their lower limbs, a significant portion fail to regain the functionality of their upper limbs. The current body of research pertaining to upper limb rehabilitation post stroke has been largely focused on improving the functionality of the "paretic limb," or the affected limb. Such a design is flawed insomuch that the coordination pattern of both limbs working congruently is ignored. The current study is aimed to correct this oversight, by measuring the effectiveness of bimanual training in improving the upper limb coordination of stroke patients. Through the use of a joystick task in training the coordination pattern of efficient movements, it is expected that the stroke patients may learn the coordination pattern required to produce said movements. In using such a procedure, it is hoped that significant gains will be made in the motor functionality of stroke patients and an effective bimanual training protocol might be established.