Predictive force programming in the grip-lift task in stroke patients: the role of memory links between arbitrary cues and object weight

Objective: It has been shown that healthy subjects are able to rapidly establish an association between an arbitrary sensory cue and a given mass to be lifted. The aim of this study was to test the ability of stroke patients to scale the grip force output in a predictive manner to the mass of an object to be lifted based on learned associations between arbitrary colour cues (ACC) and object masses. Methods: A clinical evaluation of patients was performed including ARAT, sensibility, aphasia, apraxia and hemineglect tests, MMSE, NIHSS scale. Participants grasped a cylindrical object, mounted on top of a box. The…