Effect of feedback on learning an arm motor task.

Rationale:

After a stroke, many patients suffer from an impaired motor task performance. Optimal restoration of arm and hand function is essential for stroke survivors to independently perform activities of daily life. To stimulate restoration of arm function, rehabilitation must consist of intensive, active and functional movement exercises. Addition of augmented feedback to exercises can also stimulate the learning process by making patients more aware of their performance. There are different possibilities of providing the desired augmented feedback, such as a score on a screen or knowledge about the way the arm moved, during movement execution or when the movement is performed. Research about the effect of these different kinds of augmented feedback in stroke survivors is scarce.



Objective:

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of different kinds of augmented feedback on learning an arm motor task in healthy subjects and stroke survivors.



Study design:

In the study three conditions of different kinds of augmented feedback are tested. The order of the feedback conditions differs per subject due to the use of block randomisation. The study has a cross-sectional character, because the subjects are tested at three independent moments. The experiment is completed within three sessions. In each session subjects will learn arm movements by means of a visual rotation on the screen, which represents their arm movement. Three conditions of different kinds of augmented feedback are tested: 1) feedback about the movement trajectory while performing the movement, 2) feedback about the movement trajectory after the movement is performed, 3) feedback about the achievement of the goal of the movement after the movement is performed. In one measurement sessions one condition is tested. Time between the different measurement sessions is one week.



Study population:

Twenty chronic stroke survivors will participate, and in addition twenty healthy volunteers in the age of 18-75 years will participate.

It is hypothesized that learning with a specific kind of feedback might improve learning.

The experiment is completed within three sessions. Time between the different measurement sessions is one week.

In the study three conditions of different kinds of augmented feedback are tested. The study has a cross-sectional character, because the subjects are tested at three independent moments. In each session subjects will learn arm movements by means of a visual rotation on the screen, which represents their arm movement. Three conditions of different kinds of augmented feedback are tested:

1. Feedback about the movement trajectory while performing the movement;

2. Feedback about the movement trajectory after the movement is performed;

3. Feedback about the achievement of the goal of the movement after the movement is performed.