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Asymmetry in grasp force matching and sense of effort

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Abstract

While asymmetries in upper limb force matching have been observed, the mechanisms underlying asymmetry in the sense of effort have not been conceptualized. The aim of this study was to investigate asymmetries in the perception and reproduction of grasp force. Forty-two young adults, 22 right-handed (RH) and 20 left-handed (LH), were, respectively, divided into three groups according to differences between their right and left-hand strength (left stronger than right, right stronger than left and right & left equivalent). A reference force, representing 20% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) produced by the right or left hand, was matched with same hand (Ipsilateral Remembered—IR) or opposite (Contralateral Remembered—CR) hand. The matching relative error was 92% (for RH) and 46% (for LH) greater in the CR than IR condition. Asymmetries in matching were significant for RH participants only in the CR condition and were dependent on right/left differences in hand strength as shown by the constant error (CE). For this RH population, right-hand overshoot of the left-hand reference and left-hand undershoot of the right-hand reference were significant when the right hand was stronger than the left. Asymmetry remained significant when CE was normalized (%MVC). Asymmetry was reduced when the strength of each hand was equivalent or when the left hand was stronger than the right. These findings suggest that effort perception is asymmetric in RH but not in LH individuals. The hand x strength interaction indicates that asymmetry in force matching is a consequence of both a difference in the respective cortical representations and motor components, which confer a different “gain” (input–output relationship) to each system. The similarity with position sense asymmetry suggests that the gain concept may be generalized to describe some functional/performance differences between the two hand/hemisphere systems. The more symmetrical performance of the LH than RH group underlines that context specific influence of handedness, hemisphere dominance and hemispheric interactions modulate performance symmetries/asymmetries.

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Acknowledgments

Faculty Research Award I, II, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University awarded to D.E. Adamo. Support from the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University to S Scotland, University of Michigan. Special thanks to Rajiv George, Movement Analysis and Performance Sciences Laboratory, Wayne State University for his assistance with data collection and processing. Special thanks to E. Claxton and C. Woolley, Industrial and Operations Engineering University of Michigan for designing the grasp force instrumentation.

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  1. Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    Diane E. Adamo

  2. Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, The University of Michigan, 1205 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2117, USA

    Samantha Scotland & Bernard J. Martin

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  1. Diane E. Adamo
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  2. Samantha Scotland
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Correspondence to Diane E. Adamo.

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Adamo, D.E., Scotland, S. & Martin, B.J. Asymmetry in grasp force matching and sense of effort. Exp Brain Res 217, 273–285 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-011-2991-6

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