Investigating the Impact of Afferent Stimulation on Proprioceptive Function in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

Inclusion criteria

• For healthy subjects:

• No neurological or orthopedic conditions affecting upper limb movement.
• No surgical interventions on the upper limbs within the past 6 months.
• General physical condition adequate to perform the session.
• Cognitive abilities sufficient to understand and carry out the experimental procedure.
• For stroke survivors:

• Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke resulting in motor impairments in the upper limb.
• Chronic stroke condition.
• Subjects with sufficient cognitive abilities to follow instructions and actively participate in the therapy.
• Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score > 24.
• Subjects presenting hemiparesis and mild-to-moderate impairment in the upper limb (score on the Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment for the upper limb, sections A-D, between 35 and 53 points). The maximum score on the FM scale is 66, with the following severity classifications:
• 0-15: severe impairment
• 16-34: moderate-to-severe impairment
• 35-53: mild-to-moderate impairment
• 54-66: mild impairment 6. Subjects presenting upper limb hypertonia with a score below 3 on the Modified Ashworth Scale.

• Subjects who have signed the informed consent document to voluntarily participate in the experiments.

Exclusion criteria

• Acute musculoskeletal disorders.
• Peripheral vascular diseases.
• Acute cardiopulmonary conditions.
• Acute neurological disorders.
• Restricted mobility of upper limb joints due to any cause.
• Pain as a cause of impaired upper limb mobility.