Upper-limb kinematics of the presumed-to-be-unaffected side after brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the kinematics of the presumed-to-be-unaffected upper limbs of people with brain injury (BI) compared with people without brain injury (WBI) during reaching.


METHODS
Seventeen people with BI with no apparent motor deficit and 17 people WBI were measured and compared. A six-camera motion analysis system was used to determine movement duration, average speed, and smoothness during reaching.


RESULTS
The group of people with BI was found to be significantly longer in movement duration (p < .0001), were slower in average speed (p < .0001), and had decreased smoothness (p < .0001) during reaching than the group of people WBI.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that people with BI may have undetected motor deficit in their presumed-to-be-unaffected upper extremities. Further research is needed to explore the upper-limb motor performance and the impact on function and safety.
Nakamura
Takayuki
T
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77554, USA.
Abreu
Beatriz C
BC
Patterson
Rita M
RM
Buford
William L
WL
Ottenbacher
Kenneth J
KJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014481:United States; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology*