DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/ASPN-TF94
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9734-2418
Defense Date
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Physical Therapy
First Advisor
Benjamin J. Darter
Abstract
Vibrotactile tools have become more increasingly common instruments of study in rehabilitation research as they are often small and discreet, cost effective, and stimulate the somatosensory system. Three studies examining motor behaviors during a wrist flexion-extension task guided by active vibrotactile prompts (AVP) were conducted. In Study 1, participants were provided with one of three different AVPs of increasing temporal complexity. Significantly poorer task performance was observed as task temporal complexity increased and participants employed a speed-sensitive motor control strategy consisting primarily of pulse-height modulation. Prior to engaging with the AVP and while attending to a distraction task, participants in Study 2 were provided with a passive vibrotactile prompt (PVP) of either the target AVP sequence (PVP-S) or a stochastic signal (PVP-R). Possible differences appeared early, but participants quickly adopted similar movement patterns after few trials and no statistical differences were observed. Relatively medium to large between-group effect sizes were observed among performance measures, particularly during the performance phase of testing. Such trends indicate that PVP-R could superiorly promote perceptual learning. Study 3 examined possible differences between those provided with AVP only and users given PVP. Despite a lack of statistical differences between the groups, possible differences appeared during early trials, partially indicating PVP may outperform AVP in promoting task performance. These trends were not sustained during the learning phase of the task. The overall results highlight the potential of vibrotactile tool integration into the rehabilitation protocols for diseases/disorders where sensorimotor deficits are common.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
4-24-2025