%0 Journal Article
%T The Influence of Light Hypothenar Contact during a Reaching Movement on the Centre of Pressure (COP) Forward Displacement
%A Darja Rugelj
%A Jo£¿e V. Trontelj
%A Vojko Strojnik
%J PLOS ONE
%D 2013
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0055360
%X The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of additional light hand contact (F<1 N) in the region of the hypothenar eminence on forward movement of the center of pressure (COP) and dominant hand. Subjects sled their hypothenar eminence on a vertically-oriented pressure sensitive board while reaching forward beyond their arm length. In the two separate experiments forty nine healthy, college-aged volunteers participated in the study. Thirty subjects (mean age of 22.2¡À2.4 years, 6 male and 24 female) participated in the experiment on level ground and nineteen subjects (22¡À2.6 years, 5 male and 14 female) in the experiment on an elevated surface. The forward displacement of the COP was significantly larger (p = 0.002) when subjects were allowed to slide with the hand as compared to no contact when the activity occurred on level ground (84¡À10 mm and 79¡À11 mm, respectively), and on a one meter elevated surface (71¡À17 mm and 65¡À21 mm, respectively). The maximal forward reach of the dominant hand was significantly greater when subjects were allowed to slide with the hypothenar eminence as compared to the no contact condition on the level ground (336¡À35 mm and 344¡À38 mm, respectively, p<0.02), and on the one meter elevated surface (298¡À58 mm and 307¡À58 mm, respectively, p<0.01). This data indicate that subjects were able to use additional haptic information from the hypothenar region to bring their COP and dominant hand further forward while standing on level ground as well as on a one m elevated surface.
%U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0055360