Human Hand Function


Book Description

Surveying normal hand function in health individuals, this book presents a conceptual framework for analysing what is known about it. It organises human-hand research on a continuum that ranges from activities that are sensory to those with a strong motor component. It is useful for researchers in neuroscience, cognitive science, and gerontology.




Hand Function


Book Description

Accurate assessment of hand function is critical to any treatment regimen of the hand compromised patient. Hand Function is a practical, clinical book which provides the knowledge needed to distinguish the different dimensions of hand function, particularly impairment, disability and handicap. Beginning with an overview of basic principles and examination, subsequent chapters evaluate the hand function in specific afflicted populations, including the rheumatoid patient, the stroke patient, the trauma patient, the geriatric patient and the pediatric patient, as well as special populations such as diabetes mellitus patients and musicians. An appendix containing hand function scales essential to the assessment of disability is also included. Rheumatologists, physiatrists, hand surgeons, orthopedists, occupational therapists and physical therapists will all find Hand Function a useful and valuable addition to their clinical references.




Hand Function in the Child


Book Description

This comprehensive resource and clinical guide for students and practicing pediatric therapists features current information on the neurological foundations of hand skills, the development of hand skills, and intervention with children who have problems related to hand skills. Covers foundation and development of hand skills, therapeutic intervention, and special problems and approaches. Is readable, concise, and well-organized with a consistent format throughout. Integrates recent research findings and current thinking throughout the text. Emphasizes neuroscience and the hand's sensory function and haptic perception. Applies neuroscience and development frames of reference throughout. Implications for practice included in each chapter. Presents concepts in the foundation/development chapters that are linked with the intervention chapters. Seven new chapters reflect current practice in the field and cover cognition & motor skills, handedness, fine-motor program for preschoolers, handwriting evaluation, splinting the upper extremity of the child, pediatric hand therapy, and efficacy of interventions. Extensively revised content throughout includes new research and theories, new techniques, current trends, and new information sources. 9 new contributors offer authoritative guidance in the field. Over 200 new illustrations demonstrate important concepts with new clinical photographs and line drawings. Over 50 new tables and boxes highlight important information. An updated and expanded glossary defines key terms.




Hand and Brain


Book Description

Used for gestures of communication, environmental exploration, and the grasping and manipulating of objects, the hand has a vital role in our lives. The hand's anatomical structure and neural control are among the most complex and detailed of human motor systems.Hand and Brain is a comprehensive overview of the hand's sensorimotor control. It discusses mediating variables in perception and prehension, the coordination of muscles with the central nervous system, the nature of movement control and hand positioning, hand-arm coordination in reaching and grasping, and the sensory function of the hand.In the last decade the rapid growth of neuroscience has been paralleled by a surge of interest in hand function. This reflects the fact that many of the fundamental issues facing neuroscientists today--including the problem of relating physiology to behavior--are central to the study of sensorimotor control of the hand. This book takes a broad interdisciplinary perspective on the control of hand movements that includes neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, psychology and neuropsychology, and biomechanics.The authors, who have all made significant scientific contributions in their own right, have sought to introduce their chosen topics in a manner that the undergraduate reader will be able to follow without sacrificing detailed and up-to-date coverage ofthe major developments.Uses an interdisciplinary approach including behavioral and neurophysiological dataDescribes a variety of experimental methodologiesTreats neural computations necessary for the control of movementCovers implications of biomechanics for control, sensory mechanisms, and perceptual processing (haptics)Includes manipulative hand function as well as reachingOverviews each group of chapters using link sectionsContains an integrated index and a glosssaryThe five sections cover:Mediating variables in perception and prehensionThe coordination of muscles with the central nervous systemThe nature of movement control and hand positioningHand-arm coordination in reaching and graspingThe sensory function of the hand




Improving Hand Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy


Book Description

Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 178 For most children with cerebral palsy, the extent to which they can use their hands is critical to their overall development. Over the last two decades there have been major advances in the understanding of hand function. Particularly in children with cerebral palsy, assessment of hand function has become more exact and the range of possible interventions has expanded. Changes in treatment approaches can be seen in neurorehabilitation, orthopaedic management, developmental pediatrics and rehabilitation including occupational and physical therapy practices. In this book, selected experts from around the world in the fields of neuroimaging, neurology, orthopaedics, anatomy, motor control and motor learning provide fundamental theoretical information for the development of hand function in children with cerebral palsy. The book also shows how theory can be translated into practice by clinicians who provide assessment and intervention services to improve hand use in this population in sections written by researchers in occupational and physical therapy. Linking different fields of knowledge, this book highlights new perspectives and provides the best evidence for different types of intervention. By focusing only on hand function this essential book highlights new concepts for clinicians and others working towards the overall well-being of children with cerebral palsy.




The Hand and the Brain


Book Description

This book presents the human hand from an overall perspective – from the first appearance of hand-like structures in the fins of big fishes living millions of years ago to today ́s and the future’s mind-controlled artificial hands. Much focus is given to the extremely well-developed sensation of the hand, its importance and its linkage to brain plasticity mechanisms. How can active hands rapidly expand their representational area in the brain? How can the sense of touch substitute for other deficient senses, such as in Braille reading where hand sensation substitutes for missing vision? How can the mere observation of active hands, belonging to others, activate the hand area in the observer’s own brain and what is the importance of this phenomenon for learning by imitation and the understanding of other peoples’ actions, gestures and body language? Why are some of us left-handed and what are the consequences from cultural and physiological viewpoints? Why does phantom sensation and phantom pain occur after hand amputation, and what can we do about it? Why can salamanders regenerate new extremities while humans can not? Is it possible to transplant a hand from a diseased individual to an amputee? Can artificial robotic hands be controlled by our mind, and can they ever gain the role of a normal hand? What role did the hand and the brain play during evolution in tool construction and development of language and cognitive functions? The hand has a high symbolic value in religion, literature and art and our hands have a key role in gestures and body language. The Hand and the Brain is aimed at anybody with interest in life sciences, in the medical field especially hand surgeons, orthopaedic specialists, neurologists and general practitioners, and those working in rehabilitation medicine and pain treatment. The original Swedish version of The Hand and the Brain has also become very popular among physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and among a general population with an interest in science.




Developmental and Functional Hand Grasps


Book Description

Provides guidelines for examining the hand of a patient in relation to grasp and classifying the grasp pattern. The book provides pictorial illustrations of the structure of the hand and the developmental stages of grasping, then describes 12 pencil grasps used for handwriting and 23 grasps used to perform occupational tasks involved in daily living. The descriptions are accompanied by black and white photographs. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR







Hand Grasps and Manipulation Skills


Book Description

Hand Grasps and Manipulation Skills: Clinical Perspective of Development and Function, Second Edition is an expertly designed and logically organized text that provides an accurate and clear depiction of the development of hand grasps and the taxonomy of functional hand grasp. Hand Grasps and Manipulation Skills, Second Edition by Sandra J. Edwards, Donna B. Gallen, Jenna D. McCoy-Powlen, and Michelle A. Suarez is full of concise and user-friendly text that is written to assist in understanding complex information. The photographs, illustrations and charts have been expanded in this Second Edition and present new content areas for students and clinicians to use in education and practice. Hand Grasps and Manipulation Skills, Second Edition is unique in that it is also the only text on the market that contains this comprehensive pictorial information about hands and their grasps. Additional unique features include rare information about in utero development of the hand, left handedness, scissor skill development, in hand manipulation skills, and extensive information regarding clinical application. Hand Grasps and Manipulation Skills, Second Edition is a text that can be used as a career long reference. It provides all the pertinent and comprehensive information for students to learn about the development of the hand in one place, and is expertly and thoroughly referenced with the latest research. Hand Grasps and Manipulation Skills: Clinical Perspective of Development and Function, Second Edition provides clear information on a very specific subject, which makes it the ideal reference for occupational therapy professors, students and clinicians; mechanical engineers, computer software instructors, and engineers working in robotics; medical students and orthopedic hand surgeons.




Hand Function


Book Description

This practical guide aids clinicians in distinguishing the different dimensions of hand function such as impairment, disability, and handicap. New and updated chapters discuss cerebral palsy, sports injuries, robotics, and assistive technologies. Extensively revised, the book provides a broad overview of the basic principles and examination of hand function. It describes how to evaluate hand function in specific afflicted populations, including the rheumatoid patient, the stroke patient, the trauma patient, the geriatric patient, and the pediatric patient as well as special populations such as diabetes mellitus patients and musicians. It also includes an appendix of hand function scales essential to the assessment of disability. The Second Edition of Hand Function is an ideal resource for all rheumatologists, physiatrists, hand surgeons, orthopedists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists caring for patients with impaired hand function.