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Att reglera sin gripkraft och lyfta ett föremål kan tänkas vara enkelt och självklart. Men för personer med visa neroulogiska sjukdomar som hydrocefalus och Parkinsons sjukdom har det visat sig att deras sjukdomar kan påverka deras gripkraft. Om nu gripkraften påverkas kan det kanske användas inom vården för att kontrollera sjukdomsförloppet, om det blir bättre efter behandlingar. På Medicinsk Teknik - Forsking och Utveckling (MT-FoU) har ett mätinstrument som mäter gripstyrkan och lyftaccelerationen konstruerats. För att detta instrument skall bli mer användbart i klinisk praktik behövs ett analysprogram för att ta fram resultatet efter mätningar gjorda med utrustningen. Ett datoriserat analysprogram har potential att vara betydligt snabbare, effektivare och objektivare jämfört med den manuella analys som används idag. Syftet med detta projekt är att skapa ett analysprogram som kan ersätta arbetet av den manuella analysen och som kan ta fram resultat från mätdata. Resultatet skall inte skilja mellan en manuell analys och den automatiska analysen. Målet är att analysen ska bli snabb, effektiv och vara objektiv samt ge samma resultat som en manuell analys skulle ge. Programmet som konstruerades blev snabbare och effektivare än den manuella analysen. Mätningar på sex stycken friska, frivilliga personer användes för att jämföra de automatiska och manuella analyserna. Ingen signifikant skillnad kunde påvisas för någon av de parametrar som skulle analyseras, och detta visar att det automatiska analysprogrammmet fungerar lika bra som manuella analyser och därmed kan ersätta dessa för att analysera framtida mätningar. Dock är detta endast testat på friska personer så om de automatiska och manuella analyserna är jämförbara även för personer som har en neurologisk sjukdom bör utredas vidare innan den automatiska analysmetoden tas i bruk. / To be able to regulate your grip force and lift an object can be simple for healthy people. However, for people with disabilities of neurological diseases such as hydrocephalus and Parkinson’s disease it has been found that their diseases can affect their grip force. If the grip power is affected, it may be used in healthcare to check the course of disease, if it gets better after treatment. At the department of Biomedical Engineering - Research and developmet a measurement device for analysing grip force and acceleration when lifting an object has been developed. In order for this instrument to be more useful in clinical practice, an analysis program is required to produce the result after measurements made with the equipment. A computerized analysis program has the potential to be significantly faster, more efficient and more objective compared to the manual analysis used today. The purpose of this project was to create an analysis program that can replace the work of the manual analysis and which can generate results from measured data. The results should not be different between a manual analysis and the automatic analysis. The goal was that the analysis should be fast, efficient and objective and also provide the same results as a manual analysis would provide. The program that was designed became faster and more efficient than the manual analysis. Measurements on six healthy volunteers were used to compare the automatic and manual analyzes. No significant differences could be detected for any of the parameters that were analyzed, and this shows that the results of the automated analysis are comparable to the manual analysis and thus can replace these to analyze future measurements. However, the automatic analysis has only been tested on healthy people, so if the automatic and manual analyzes are comparable even for people with a neurological disease should be further investigated before using the automatic analysis method on patient data.

Complex interactive behaviour involves cognitive, sensation and motor behaviour and may consist of several sub interactive behaviours. It needs to be examined from different points of view. Although explaining everything in one model is not currently possible, it is possible to connect information from different sources to get a better understanding of the interaction to benefit product design. The long-term objective of our study is to develop a methodology for interactive virtual design assessment to study the interactive behaviour and achieve compatibility. This study summarized two experiments which covered many aspects of interactive behaviours in seated posture. Experiment one addressed manipulation behaviour and the hand control design of the car. Experiment two addressed seated reaching behaviour and ATM design. The two experiments are the basis of the advanced study for interactive virtual design assessment. They explored the limitations and advantages of digital prototypes and physical prototypes and suggested that digital prototypes and physical prototypes should be combined to provide design variations and to support human factor testing.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T17:07:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniela.pdf: 2419593 bytes, checksum: 894152ce479aae16445a360b52fda72a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study investigated the effect of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) on hand function. It was analyzed the parameters of the grip force and their associations with the characteristics of CTS; and also, the control of the grip force in individuals with CTS during functional tasks and the effect of muscle fatigue and the object‟s weight. It was evaluated 13 women with CTS (GE) and 13 without STC (GC) aged 43.54 ± 7.70 and 43.23 ± 7.89, respectively. The GE was assessed by the symptoms severity and functional status (Boston Questionnaire for CTS), the threshold of tactile sensibility and the manual dexterity (Moberg test). The maximal voluntary grip force was evaluated using a dynamometer. The parameters of the grip force analyzed were: maximal grip force (Fmax), time do reach the maximal grip force (TFmax), force rate (TDF) and area under the curve force-time (AFmax). To analyze the grip force control, the subjects performed two functional tasks while an object (instrumented with force sensor and triaxial accelerometer) was manipulated: i) drinking to bring the object close to the mouth and ii) "transition" - to lift the object 11 times sequentially and to leave it on the table after 5 s; in the trials 6-8, the object‟s weight was increased; therefore, the trials without object‟s additional load (average of 1-5, OBJP1) and the second lift with object‟s additional load (OBP2) were compared. The parameters analyzed were: peak of the velocity (Pvel), time lag (DT), peak of the grip force (PFP), mean of the grip force in movement‟s acceleration (Fac) and deceleration (Fdc) and safety margin (MS). The subjects performed the functional tasks before the fatigue protocol (FAD1) and with the muscles fatigued (FAD2). At group‟s comparison, the GE showed lower values of Fmax, TDF and AFmax and higher TFmax. There were high and moderate associations between TFmax and the characteristics of the GE and a moderate association between manual dexterity and the parameters of the grip force. The temporal parameters (Pvel and DT) were not affected by the CTS, fatigue and object‟s weight. Before the fatigue protocol, the GE applied higher PFP than the GC (drinking task); furthermore, both groups increased the PFP and the MS (transition task) while lifting the object with additional load. When the subjects performed the tasks with fatigued muscles, it was found a decreased of Fdc for the GE (drinking task) and also of PFP and MS for both groups (transition task); there was no difference on PFP between OBJP1 and OBJP2 for the GE. The analysis of the parameters of the grip force was useful to detect the muscle function impairments in CTS. It was identified that the TFmax might be the best parameter to indicate these changes. Moreover, it is suggested that the sensibility of the fingertips is important to avoid the excessive grip forces in functional tasks and that the manipulation of the objects with muscles of prehension fatigued may increase the likelihood of accidental slips, especially in individuals with CTS. / Este estudo investigou efeito da Síndrome do Túnel do Carpo (STC) na função manual. Foram analisados os parâmetros da força de preensão e suas associações com as características da STC, bem como o controle da força de preensão de indivíduos com STC em tarefas funcionais e o efeito causado pela fadiga e peso do objeto. Foram avaliadas 13 mulheres com STC (GE) e 13 sem STC (GC) com idade de 43,54 ± 7,70 e 43,23 ± 7,89 anos, respectivamente. O GE foi classificado quando à gravidade dos sintomas e estado funcional (Questionário de Boston para STC), o limiar de sensibilidade tátil e a destreza manual (Teste de Moberg). Foi realizado teste de força de preensão voluntária máxima em um dinamômetro. Os parâmetros da força de preensão analisados foram: força de preensão máxima (Fmax), tempo para atingir a força de preensão máxima (TFmax), taxa de desenvolvimento da força de preensão (TDF) e área sob a curva força-tempo (AFmax). Para análise do controle da força de preensão os indivíduos manipularam um objeto (instrumentado com sensor de força e acelerômetro triaxial) em duas tarefas funcionais: i) beber - levar o objeto até próximo à boca e ii) transição - realizar 11 levantamentos seqüenciais do objeto e reposicioná-lo sobre a mesa após 5 s, sendo que seu peso era aumentado nas repetições 6-8; foram comparadas as tentativas sem peso adicional do objeto (média 1-5, OBJP1) e o segundo levantamento com peso adicional (OBJP2). Os parâmetros analisados foram: pico da velocidade (Pvel), diferença temporal (DT), pico da força de preensão (PFP), média de força de preensão na aceleração (Fac) e desaceleração (Fdc) do movimento e margem de segurança (MS). Os indivíduos realizaram as tarefas funcionais antes de um protocolo de fadiga (FAD1) e com os músculos da preensão fadigados (FAD2). Os parâmetros da força de preensão foram diferentes entre grupos. GE mostrou menores valores de Fmax, TDF e AFmax e maior TFmax do que o GC. Foram encontradas associações moderadas e altas entre o TFmax e características do GE e moderada entre destreza manual e os parâmetros da força de preensão. Os parâmetros Pvel e DT não foram alterados pela STC, fadiga e peso do objeto. Antes do protocolo de fadiga, o GE aplicou maior PFP do que o GC (tarefa beber); ao levantar o objeto com peso adicional, ambos os grupos aumentaram o PFP e a MS (tarefa transição). Com os músculos fadigados, houve decréscimo da Fdc para GE (tarefa beber) e do PFP e da MS (tarefa transição) para ambos os grupos; o GE não mostrou diferença do PFP entre OBJP1 e OBJP2. A análise dos parâmetros da preensão apresentou-se útil para detectar prejuízo da função muscular na STC. Foi identificado que o TFmax pode ser o melhor parâmetro para indicar este comprometimento. Além disso, sugere-se que a sensibilidade é importante para evitar forças de preensão excessivas em tarefas funcionais e que a manipulação de objetos com músculos da preensão fadigados pode aumentar a probabilidade de deslizes acidentais, especialmente em indivíduos com STC.

BACKGROUND: Accurate prediction of electromyographic (EMG) signals associated with a variety of motor behaviors could, in theory, serve as activity templates needed to evoke movements in paralyzed individuals using functional electrical stimulation. Such predictions should encompass complex multi-joint movements and include interactions with objects in the environment. METHODS: Here we tested the ability of different artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict EMG activities of 12 arm muscles while human subjects made free movements of the arm or grasped and moved objects of different weights and dimensions. Inputs to the trained ANNs included hand position, hand orientation, and thumb grip force. RESULTS: The ability of ANNs to predict EMG was equally as good for tasks involving interactions with external loads as for unloaded movements. The ANN that yielded the best predictions was a feed-forward network consisting of a single hidden layer of 30 neural elements. For this network, the average coefficient of determination (R2 value) between predicted and actual EMG signals across all nine subjects and 12 muscles during movements that involved episodes of moving objects was 0.43. CONCLUSION: This reasonable accuracy suggests that ANNs could be used to provide an initial estimate of the complex patterns of muscle stimulation needed to produce a wide array of movements, including those involving object interaction, in paralyzed individuals.

In den letzte Jahrzehnten wurde viel daran geforscht zu entschlüsseln wie das Gehirn Greifbewegungen koordiniert. Das anteriore intraparietale Areal (AIP), das Hand Areal des ventralen premotorischen Kortex (F5), und das Hand Areal des primären motorischen Kortex (M1) wurden als essentielle kortikale Arealen für die Kontrolle der Hand identifiziert. Nichtsdestotrotz ist deutlich weniger darüber bekannt wie die Neuronen dieser Areale einen weiteren essentielle Parameter von Greifbewegungen kodieren: Greifkraft. Insbesondere die Rolle der tertiären, kortikalen Areale AIP und F5 in diesen Prozess ist bisher unklar. Die hier durchgeführte Studie befasst sich mit der Wissenslücke über die neuronale Kodierung von Greifkraft Planung und Steuerung in diesen Arealen. Um dies zu erreichen, haben wir zwei Makaken (Macaca mulatta) trainiert eine verzögerte Greifaufgabe auszuführen mit zwei Grifftypen (ein Griff mit der ganzen Hand oder ein Präzisionsgriff) und mit drei verschiedene Kraftniveaus (0-12 N). Während die Affen die Aufgabe ausführten, haben wir die Aktivität von “single-units“ (einzelnen Neuronen) und “multi-units“ (Gruppen von mehreren Neuronen) in den Arealen AIP, F5 und M1 aufgenommen. Wir berechneten den Prozentsatz von Grifftyp modulierten und Griffkraft modulierten “units“ (cluster-based permutation test) und berechneten wie viel Varianz in der Population von “units“ durch Grifftyp und Kraft erklärbar ist, separat für jedes Gehirn Areal mit einer modernen Dimensionalitätsreduktionsanalyse (demixed principal component analysis). 18 Wir zeigen hier zum ersten Mal die Modulation von einzelnen AIP Neuronen durch Greifkraft. Weiterhin bestätigen und erweitern wir hier vorherige Ergebnisse, welche solche neuronale Modulationen bereits in F5 und M1 gezeigt haben. Überaschenderweise war der Prozentsatz von “units“ welche durch Griffkraft moduliert werden, in AIP und F5 nicht wesentlich kleiner als in M1 und ähnlich zu dem Prozentsatz an Grifftyp modulierte Neuronen. Der Anteil an erklärte Varianz in F5 durch Greifkraft war nahezu so groß, wie der Anteil erklärt durch Grifftyp. In AIP und M1 war klar mehr Varianz durch Grifftyp erklärt als durch Kraft, aber der Anteil an erklärte Varianz beider Arealen war ausreichend, um zuverlässig Kraftbedingung zu dekodieren. Wir fanden ebenfalls eine starke neuronale Modulation für Griffkraftbedingungen vor der Bewegungsinitiierung in F5, was wahrscheinlich eine Rolle dieses Areals in der Greifkraftplanung repräsentiert. In AIP war Greifkraftplanungsaktivität nur in einen der beiden Affen vorhanden und wie erwartet nicht präsent in M1 (gemessen nur in einen Affen). Letztendlich, obwohl Greifkraftmodulation in einigen Fällen durch Grifftypmodulation beeinflusst war, war nur ein kleiner Anteil der Populationsvarianz, in den jeweiligen Arealen, durch interaktive Modulation erklärt. Information über Greifkraft können somit folglich separat vom Grifftyp extrahiert werden. Diese Ergebnisse legen eine wichtige Rolle von AIP und F5 bei der Greifkraftkontrolle, neben M1, nah. F5 ist mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit auch bei der Planung von Greifkraft involviert, während die Rolle von AIP und M1 geringer ist in diesem Prozess. Letztendlich, da Grifftyp- und Kraftinformation separat extrahierbar sind, zeigen diese Ergebnisse, dass Greifkraft vermutlich unabhängig von Grifftyp, im kortikalen Greifnetzwerk kodiert ist. / In de laatste decennia is er veel onderzoek gedaan om te interpreteren hoe de hersenen grijpbewegingen besturen. Het anterieure intra pariëtale gebied (AIP), het handgebied van de ventrale premotorische schors (F5) en het handgebied van de primaire motorische schors (M1) zijn geïdentificeerd als essentiële gebieden van de hersenschors die de vorm van de hand besturen. Maar er is veel minder bekend over hoe de hersenen een andere parameter van grijpbewegingen bestuurt: grijpkracht. Vooral de rol in dit proces van AIP en F5, gebieden van hogere orde, is nog nagenoeg onbekend. Deze studie richt zich op het gebrek aan kennis over de neurale codering van het plannen en besturen van grijpkracht. Om dit te bereiken, hebben we twee makaken (Macaca mulatta) getraind om een vertraagde grijptaak uit te voeren met twee grepen van de hand (een grip met de hele hand of een precisie grip) en met drie verschillende krachtniveaus (0-12 N). Terwijl de apen de taak uitvoerden, maten we de activiteit van single-units (individuele neuronen) en multiunits (collectie van enkele neuronen) in de gebieden AIP, F5 en M1. We berekenden het percentage van units die hun activiteit moduleerden op basis van grip vorm of kracht met een moderne statistieke test (cluster-based permutation test) en we berekenden de hoeveelheid variantie die werd verklaard door de grip vorm en kracht door de populatie van units van elk hersengebied met een moderne dimensie vermindering techniek (demixed principal component analysis). We laten hier voor het eerst zien dat individuele neuronen van AIP hun activiteit moduleren op basis van grijpkracht. Verder bevestigen we dat neuronen van F5 en M1 20 dergelijke modulaties vertonen en breiden we de kennis hierover uit. Verassend genoeg was het percentage units dat reageert op het besturen van grijpkracht in AIP en F5 niet veel lager dan in M1 en ongeveer gelijk aan de hoeveelheid units dat reageert op grip vorm. De hoeveelheid variantie die werd verklaard door grijpkracht in F5 was bijna net zo hoog als wat werd verklaard door grip vorm. In AIP en M1 verklaarde grip vorm duidelijk meer variantie dan grijpkracht, maar ook in deze gebieden was de hoeveelheid variantie dat grijpkracht verklaarde hoog genoeg om de kracht conditie te decoderen. We vonden ook een sterke neurale modulatie voor grijpkracht condities in F5 voordat de arm bewoog, wat mogelijk een rol voor dit gebied representeert in het plannen van grijpkracht. In AIP was activiteit voor het plannen van grijpkracht alleen in één van beide apen gevonden en zoals verwacht was het niet gevonden in M1 (onderzocht in één aap). Tenslotte vonden we dat, hoewel modulatie voor kracht werd beïnvloedt door grip vorm in sommige eenheden, slechts een kleine fractie van de variantie van de neurale populatie van elk hersengebied een gemixte selectiviteit voor grip vorm en kracht had. Informatie over grijpkracht kon daarom onafhankelijk van grip vorm worden geëxtraheerd. Deze bevindingen suggereren een belangrijke rol voor AIP en F5 in het besturen van grijpkracht, samen met M1. F5 is waarschijnlijk ook betrokken met het plannen van grijpkracht, terwijl AIP en M1 waarschijnlijk een kleinere rol hebben in dit proces. Tenslotte, omdat informatie over grip vorm en grijpkracht onafhankelijk konden worden geëxtraheerd, laten deze resultaten zien dat grijpkracht vermoedelijk onafhankelijk van hand vorm is gecodeerd in het grijpnetwerk van de hersenschors.

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<p dir="ltr">Ninety percent of humans are right-handed, and this is often construed to mean that the right hand is better than the left at all tasks, in the right-handed individuals. However, we often ignore the important role played by the left-hand when performing certain bimanual tasks. For instance, when slicing a bread loaf, stabilizing the bread with the left hand is as important as slicing it with the right hand. This implies that each hand is dominant in different types of tasks. The influential dynamic dominance theory posits that each hand’s specific dominance arises from the contralateral hemisphere specialization. The dominant (right) arm produces well-coordinated movements because the left hemisphere is superior at predictive control, and the non-dominant (left) arm shows better stabilizing performance because the right hemisphere is superior at impedance control. This theory has been proposed by studying arm movements. However, it is unclear whether the features of this theory extend to grip force control during object manipulation. This is an important gap in our knowledge; identifying the differences in hand-specific control of grip force would improve our understanding of sensorimotor control of skilled bimanual manipulations. Therefore, the goal of my dissertation was to investigate whether the features of dynamic dominance extend to the control of grip forces in bimanual object manipulation.</p><p dir="ltr">In this dissertation, I performed two studies to investigate the control of complex, bimanual object manipulation tasks. Participants held an object in each hand. The two objects were connected by a spring. The grip forces of each hand accounted not only for the dynamics of the object that the hand manipulated, but also for the destabilizing forces that arose from the actions of the other hand that were transmitted by the spring. This experimental design mimics ecological tasks like slicing bread to the first degree of approximation. The goals were to determine whether the features of hand-specific specialization of control observed in wrist movements is also evident in the movement of hand-held objects and in the control of grip forces during movement execution (study 1) and planning (study 2). Furthermore, I investigated how task uncertainty interacts with hemispheric specialization in modes of grip forces control in both studies.</p><p dir="ltr">In study 1, I investigated whether grip force characteristics differ between hands during an ongoing bimanual manipulation. The right hand produced accurate object movement performance accompanied by stronger modulations in grip force in response to dynamics of loads associated with object movement compared to the left hand. In contrast, the left hand stabilized the object’s position better by exerting a higher grip force on the object. The main contribution of this study is that it suggests that the left hemisphere specializes in predicting dynamics of loads associated with object movements whereas the right hemisphere specializes in ensuring object’s stability by increasing its impedance.</p><p dir="ltr">In study 2, I investigated anticipatory modulations in grip force before an impending bimanual object manipulation task. I studied how each hand prepared grip force for the expected increase in load force, thereby uncovering differences in underlying motor planning processes of each hand. Grip force increased in both hands; however, this increase was greater in the left hand. This result indicates that the right hemisphere relies more on impedance control during planning. The main contribution of this study is that it suggests that even the motor planning processes that prepare each hand for an impending motor action are specialized in a way consistent with the predictions of dynamic dominance theory.</p><p dir="ltr">This dissertation adds to the existing knowledge about hemispheric specialization of arm movement control and extends it to grip force control. Future studies should focus on how the control of arm movements and grip force interact in each hemisphere. Furthermore, building on this dissertation, future work on pathology- and age-related dexterity loss could potentially lead to better interventions that improve the quality of life in these populations.</p>

The overall aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of forced use on arm and hand recovery after stroke by applying a restraining sling on the non-affected arm and to investigate psychometric properties of selected upper limb measures. Papers I and II reported a randomised trial with 1- and 3-month follow-ups. Thirty patients 1 to 6 months after stroke were included and received regular training for 2 weeks of intervention. The forced-use group had in addition a restraining sling on the non-paretic arm. Outcome measures were the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Modified Ashworth scale, the 16-hole peg test, grip force, the Action Research Arm test, and the Motor Assessment Scale (Paper I), and the Motor Activity Log (MAL) (Paper II). Results in Papers I and II showed no statistical difference in change between groups. Both groups improved over time. Paper III assessed the responsiveness of the MAL and its cross-sectional and longitudinal validity. The MAL was responsive to change, with Standardised Response Means and Responsiveness Ratios larger than 1.0. Correlations between the MAL and the other measures were mostly close to 0.50. Paper IV investigated test–retest intra-rater reliability of measuring grip force with Grippit, and assessed relationships between grip forces of both hands, and between sustained and peak grip force. The paretic hand needs to score a change of 10% or 50 N to exceed the measurement error. The mean ratio between sides was 0.66, and between sustained and peak grip force, 0.80–0.84. In conclusion, this thesis provides preliminary evidence that forced use does not generate greater improvement on upper limb motor impairment, capacity, and performance of activity than regular rehabilitation. The findings indicate that the MAL is a responsive measure of daily hand use in patients with stroke. Correlations of construct validity indicated that daily hand use might need to be measured separately from body function and activity capacity. The coefficients calculated for repeatability and reproducibility were acceptable, and the Grippit instrument can be recommended.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-12T17:32:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCELO ANDERSON BRACHT.pdf: 528517 bytes, checksum: fda430f0ee52869b14f2380311059025 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Neck pain is a highly prevalent disease that leads to disability; individuals with neck pain experience changes in pressure pain threshold, latency activation of the neck muscles and in grip force control. However, there are few studies investigating the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions on these changes, for example, cervical manipulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cervical manipulation on pain and upper limb motor control in subjects with neck pain. Thirty subjects with neck pain were instructed to grasp an object that was placed on a table, pre and post intervention, which consisted of or cervical manipulation (n = 15) or sham manipulation (n = 15). The data of the pain threshold, grip force and electrical activity of the upper limb muscles were collected during the task. A blinded evaluator assessed the variables of grip force control and latency of muscles in relation to the object lifting. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) identified a statistically significant difference (F = 7.46, P = 0.01) between groups for pressure pain threshold in the upper trapezius region, no significant differences were found for the other variables. The results of this study showed that cervical manipulation causes immediate local hypoalgesia, without however, change the motor control of the upper limb muscles. These results encourage future studies to investigate the cervical manipulation effects on motor control, in the medium and long term, using this and other dynamic tasks. / A cervicalgia é uma doença de alta prevalência que leva a incapacidade funcional; indivíduos com cervicalgia apresentam alterações no limiar de dor à pressão, na latência de ativação dos músculos cervicais e no controle da força de preensão manual. No entanto, são escassos os estudos que investigam a efetividade de intervenções fisioterapêuticas sobre essas alterações, por exemplo, a manipulação cervical. O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar os efeitos da manipulação cervical sobre a dor e o controle motor do membro superior em indivíduos com cervicalgia. Trinta sujeitos com cervicalgia foram instruídos a pegar e levantar um objeto que foi posicionado sobre uma mesa, pré e pós intervenção, que consistiu de ou manipulação cervical (n=15) ou manipulação placebo (n=15). Os dados do limiar de dor, da força de preensão e da atividade elétrica dos músculos do membro superior foram coletados durante a tarefa. Um avaliador cego analisou as variáveis de controle de força de preensão e a latência dos músculos em relação ao levantamento do objeto. Através da análise de covariância (ANCOVA) identificou-se uma diferença estatisticamente significativa (F= 7.46, p=0.01) entre os grupos para o limiar de dor à pressão na região do trapézio superior; não foram encontradas diferenças significativas para as demais variáveis estudadas. Os resultados desse estudo mostraram que a manipulação cervical provoca hipoalgesia imediata local, sem no entanto, alterar o controle motor dos músculos do membro superior. Esses resultados incentivam futuros estudos a investigar os efeitos da manipulação cervical a médio e longo prazo sobre o controle motor, mediante essa e outras tarefas dinâmicas.