Reliability of preferred grasp using a TactArray device in healthy adults and in stroke survivors

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

12:47 PM – 12:52 PM

Location: Station 10

Presenting Author(s)

Urvashy Gopaul, MSc, PhD PT

Post Doctoral fellow
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Non-presenting Author(s)

GM

Garene Matossian

Honours Bachelor of Science Candidate
University of Toronto Department of Human Biology, Department of Psychology, Department of Physiology
Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada
Mark T. Bayley, MD

Program Medical Director & Physiatrist-in-Chief
KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Research Objectives: To determine the reliability and validity of measures of preferred tactile pressures and forces during a sustained grasp using a TactArray device in healthy adults and in stroke survivors.

Design: During this reliability study, participants performed three trials using preferred pressure/force during a sustained grasp, using the TactArray device. Participants were tested during within-day (one hour apart) and between-day sessions (one week apart), while using both hands, with and without vision. The preferred pressures and forces were measured during the complete grasp duration(8s) and during the plateau phase(5s).

Setting: Research lab

Participants: Healthy individuals (n=18, mean age: 62 ± 9.9 years) and stroke survivors (n=11, mean age: 64 ± 9.01 years) participated in this study.

Interventions: NA

Main Outcome Measures: To determine reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used.

Results: In healthy participants, ICCs for measures of preferred tactile pressures and forces during the plateau phase(5s) were moderate-good in the dominant hand without vision (0.50-0.80), and in the nondominant hand with vision in within-day and between-day trials (0.69-0.87). ICCs were good-very good for measures of preferred tactile pressures and forces over 8s in the nondominant hand with and without vision in within-day trials (0.75-0.89), and for measures of preferred tactile forces over 8s in the dominant hand without vision in between-day trials (0.76-0.80).
In stroke survivors, ICCs for measures of preferred tactile pressures and forces over 8s were moderate-good in the less affected hand with and without vision in within-day and between-day trials, respectively (0.50-0.83). ICCs were good-very good in the affected hand with and without vision in all conditions (0.81-0.96). All ICCs for measures of preferred tactile forces in the between-day trial were good-very good (0.83-0.96).

Conclusions: Measures of preferred tactile pressures and forces assessed using the TactArray device are reliable in healthy individuals and stroke survivors.

Author(s) Disclosures: No conflicts of interest

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, participant will be able to describe the use of pressure and force sensors to measure grasp performance in healthy individuals and those with stroke.
Upon completion, participant will be able to conduct the evaluation of measures of reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient in healthy individuals and those with stroke.
Upon completion, participant will be able to better understand the hand function and the use of preferred hand pressure and forces during task performance.