title: Effects of direction and index of difficulty on aiming movements after stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain hemispheres play different roles in the control of aiming movements that are impaired after unilateral stroke. It is not clear whether those roles are influenced by the direction and the difficulty of the task.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of direction and index of difficulty (ID) of the task on performance of ipsilesional aiming movements after unilateral stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten individuals with right hemisphere stroke, ten with left hemisphere stroke, and ten age- and gender-matched controls performed the aiming movements on a digitizing tablet as fast as possible. Stroke individuals used their ipsilesional arm. The direction (ipsilateral or contralateral), size (0.8 or 1.6 cm), and distance (9 or 18 cm) of the targets, presented on a monitor, were manipulated and determined to be of different ID (3.5, 4.5, and 5.5). Results. Individuals with right hemisphere lesion were more sensitive to ID of the task, affecting planning and final position accuracy. Left hemisphere lesion generated slower and less smooth movements and was more influenced by target distance. Contralateral movements and higher ID increased planning demands and hindered movement execution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Right and left hemisphere damages are differentially influenced by task constraints which suggest their complementary roles in the control of aiming movements.
authors.affiliation: Master's and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), Rua Cesário Galeno, 448/475 Tatuapé, 03071-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Coqueiro
authors.affiliation: Master's and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), Rua Cesário Galeno, 448/475 Tatuapé, 03071-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Maria Sbeghen Ferreira
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.affiliation: Master's and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), Rua Cesário Galeno, 448/475 Tatuapé, 03071-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cassandra Mendes
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Assunção e Silva
authors.affiliation: Master's and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), Rua Cesário Galeno, 448/475 Tatuapé, 03071-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Alouche
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*