The Influence of Reaching Task Requirements on Choice of Arm Use in Healthy Controls

The data collected will service multiple purposes: i.) serve as healthy comparison data
for a previously completed study, ii.) contribute to a better understanding of motor control in
healthy people, and iii.) inform our understanding of how specific task requirements influence
choice of arm use during reaching to inform rehab interventions with this patient population.
The current field of rehabilitative research is in dire need of basic motor control studies, in
healthy individuals and survivors of stroke, to build a more ideal intervention arsenal. The
prevalent inability to use the weaker arm after stroke for daily activities makes it a current
international healthcare priority. This is particularly true based on the increased incidence of
stroke, decreased stroke-related mortality, and constraints of the current healthcare system.
I am a newer tenure track faculty member balancing teaching, scholarship and service;
this project will likely contribute to all three of these domains. This companion study will
strengthen the rigor of the original study, subsequently increasing the likelihood of both studies
being published. Most importantly, the project is a relatively basic study from which an
undergraduate can engage in learning many aspects of the research process, from recruitment all the way through dissemination. In this way, it is an ideal engaged learning experience for a
novice researcher. The fact that the participants will be healthy controls and that it is a
companion study (IRB only requires modifications; protocol already developed) make it
particularly feasible and will ensure that it is not too daunting of an introduction to research.